


A Logical Arrangement

by writteninweakness



Category: Amnesia (Game & Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Arranged Marriage, F/M, Gen, Orion is human, Slow Burn, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2020-01-23 13:40:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 65,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18550909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writteninweakness/pseuds/writteninweakness
Summary: To protect herself, her younger brother, and the kingdom, the princess asks the head of the council to marry her and become her brother's regent. She might dislike him, but Kent's the only one who makes sense, the only one she can trust.It's just a political marriage, temporary until Orion is of age, and it's never going to be anything more than that. Or at least that was the plan.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Like the Things Lost in the Fire AU short On Touch, this idea had its root in that cg of Kent feeling awkward as he shared a bed with the heroine. I thought of several ideas why he'd be uncomfortable with touch (there's probably even a bit of that in the terrible AU) and this one got to me, so I wrote a few short pieces for it. I set it aside as I worked on finishing longer fics, dabbled in silly group chat fics, and the terrible AU got hold of me, but I did want to come back to it, and since I've finished The Clover Prince, it felt like a good time to develop it into a full story.
> 
> Though the title is similar, it's because of Kent and not related to The Logical Choice. This universe is separate and its own.

* * *

* * *

 

“ _You understand, of course, that you are an obstacle.”_

_Shin glared at the other man, folding his arms over his chest. He didn’t need or want a lecture. He wasn’t stupid, and everyone knew how things stood with the king dead and the crown prince gone. Only a fool would think it was something else, and Shin wasn’t a fool. He knew what this situation was and what it meant._

_The whole kingdom did, and no one rested easily these days. Too much was uncertain, and until that changed and clear leadership was established again, the chaos would continue, and more would try and gain that power for themselves._

_It should have been simple. The princess should have been enough._

_She wasn’t._

“ _Looking at the pieces as they are arranged on the board, two must be eliminated for any plan to succeed.”_

“ _Is that a threat?” Shin asked, well aware that there was no board between them. He wasn’t stupid enough to play games with this one. He wasn’t even sure why he’d agreed to have this conversation, but then people who ignored requests like this tended to pay a high price._

“ _I see the game not as the next step or even the next five but the ones that must be made towards the end victory. Some sacrifices will have to be made.”_

“ _You being vague like that doesn’t scare me, you know. My role is clear, has been since I was a boy, and I’m not that any longer.”_

“ _There are those who disagree with that.”_

“ _You being one of them? You are such a bastard.”_

“ _Call me what you will, but you know I’m not speaking of anything you don’t already know. You are in the way to taking control, and as such, you will fall. There is no avoiding that fate. You must die for any progress to be made.”_

_Shin tensed. “Toma, too?”_

“ _Of course.”_

_Shin shook his head. “You know neither of us is going without a fight. She’s our friend. Close like a sister even if she’s only a distant cousin. We’ll die for her.”_

“ _Yes, I do believe that is the plan.”_

_Shin grunted, putting his hand on the hilt of his sword. If this was it, then he accepted it. He’d fight until he couldn’t to keep the throne out of enemy hands. He’d fight to keep her out of enemy hands. If that meant losing his life, he would do what he had to do, but he did intend to take a few of them with him when he went._

_And maybe this wasn’t even the right time. After all, this one had come alone._

“ _If you intend to kill me, then go ahead and try.”_

* * *

“Something seems to have caught your eye.” He stepped up to his friend, looking out at the same distance, taking in the sight with a frown. The princess, wrapped in a heavy mourning veil, knelt with flowers in one hand as the other rested on one of the two memorial stones. Alone with the fresh graves, she seemed even more tragic than the loss she mourned.

“She goes there every day at this hour.”

He grimaced. “You know you can’t blame yourself for that.”

“Can’t I? You know what I did, and even if I had not done it, my inaction is also to blame. The choice was clear, and yet I made the wrong one. Others paid that cost, and I have never cared for such inequity.”

“You can’t blame yourself for what happened in the war, either. It’s war. Men fight, and men die—not just them, the women and children do, too, even if we try and keep them from the front lines—and you made the best choices you could.”

“Is that what comforts you at night?”

“Contrary to all the rumors about me, yes.” He saw his friend shake his head and look away again, not at the princess this time but off into that dark place in his mind that the war had created, that place that they both carried with them as they never could come back from it. “You know, if you’re out here to punish yourself—”

“There are other better ways of doing that.”

“That’s not what I was going to say, but since you went there, do you actually intend to give your enemies this advantage? You know they’re after anything they can get, and you helping them is just stupid when you are not a stupid man.”

“It is the fool who never considers the consequences of his actions.”

“Right, but second-guessing yourself and allowing guilt to overwhelm you isn’t healthy, either.”

“Have you forgotten who you’re talking to? I do not know guilt, nor do I feel remorse. I made my choices knowing full well their likely outcome and full cost. I would not change them, either, despite the blood on my hands.”

Though his own hands were stained just the same, he knew better than to try and use that to reason with his friend. “You see much more than others do, consider things on a much larger scope than they do, as few of them can even use one to see past their noses. Helps that they’re so far up in the air, but that’s not—”

“Your attempts at humor are not needed or wanted. I have work to do.”

“I know that’s true, but it’s also an excuse.”

“And I know that you have other matters you should attend to instead of annoying me.”

“Did you find anything in the laws that could help?”

“No. The system is archaic yet iron clad. It allows for no flexibility or even allowances for anything less than the two extremes.”

“You call marriage an extreme?”

“I don’t. She does.”

He looked back at the princess, who was now scattering the flowers over the graves as was custom. She was too far away to be heard, but he didn’t doubt she was crying as she sang the memorial hymns. “I suppose she would, wouldn’t she?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kokoa faces the facts and takes matters into her own hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two of these scenes were the original ones I did for this universe in setting it up. I added Kent and Ikki's scene later, but it does help fill in a bit more even if it touches on some unpleasant attitudes and thoughts.

* * *

“My lady, you have no choice. You must marry.”

Kokoa winced, not looking back at her lady-in-waiting. She knew that was true. She could not afford to wait any longer and hope—it didn’t matter if she was wishing for Nhil to return or for a union based on love—she didn’t have the luxury of time. If she did not choose someone soon, the choice would be made for her, and that would mean disaster for everyone.

Orion reached over and squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry. This is all my fault. If I were older, you wouldn’t have to do this. They wouldn’t be fighting over you.”

She forced a smile. Orion was still a child, her baby brother, and she wouldn’t wish that kind of responsibility on him. He was far too young to rule. He should be able to be a child, to grow into maturity before he was forced to carry the burden of the kingdom.

If only Nhil hadn’t disappeared…

She shook her head. There was no use thinking about that. She knew that she couldn’t keep holding out for his return—something that might never happen. She found herself a bit angry with him again, but that was pointless, too, and it didn’t change the facts. Nhil was gone, and without him, everything fell on Orion’s shoulders, but as a child, he was too young to rule. That meant a regent, and the law said that regent was her husband.

They wouldn’t appoint another so long as she was single, no, she’d also tried to make that work, but the law allowed for no other possibilities as long as she was living. Her husband would be Orion’s regent, and that made her nothing but a pawn that men had already fought and died over.

“I’m sorry. I know you’re still mourning them,” Sawa said. “It’s not that I… It’s because you are that you have to do this. Shin and Toma both died stopping others from claiming you, but that doesn’t mean more won’t try. They will, and now...”

She didn’t have to say it. Kokoa had no protectors left now that her childhood friends were dead. She felt sick all over again, knowing what cost had already been paid to keep the throne from their enemies.

“Is there anyone who can stand against them?” Kokoa asked, not sure she knew of anyone who had enough power to oppose the factions that they feared. This wasn’t as simple as picking any man off the street and calling him husband. Anyone she did that to would be assassinated, and if they were willing to murder her friends to get to her, it had to be someone whose influence or authority couldn’t be challenged without greater losses than her enemies would risk.

“Well…”

“There has to be someone,” Orion insisted. Sawa gave him a look, and Kokoa had a feeling she knew where this was headed. She should have guessed it a long time ago.

“I know you don’t want me to say it, but… what about Kent?” Sawa asked, looking like she wanted to run even as she said it. “You two don’t get along, I know that, and I’m not ignoring it, but Kent _is_ the head of the council.”

Orion nodded, though he was no more happier about it than Kokoa was. “That’s true. He’s so smart everyone listens to him, and he’s friends with Lord Ikki. The two of them practically won the last war for us—they were unbeatable with Kent’s strategy and Ikki’s skill.”

“Ikki’s someone to consider, too, since he does have that influence.”

“Except most of the other men hate him and are jealous of him, and that wouldn’t help anything since we don’t need more divisions,” Kokoa said, well aware of the delicate balance there. Ikki was a valuable ally, but that cut both ways as his popularity actually worked against him most times. Kent might not have been popular, but no one could deny how smart he was. He had authority despite not getting along with most people, and the fact that he could “control” Ikki was a point in his favor.

Still, she knew that it wouldn’t be easy. She knew Kent was logical, he’d accept this as the best course for the country, but that didn’t mean he’d promise to be less condescending or that she’d be able to stop herself from her own bad habits that made all their arguments worse than they had to be.

“There’s no one else?”

Orion frowned. “Not that I want you to be stuck with someone you don’t like, but you will be anyway since you don’t want to be married, and you don’t like Ikki that much either because of how he treats women, but isn’t… well, considering how smart Kent is, he’s the best choice, isn’t he?”

Sawa hesitated. “Not necessarily. There’s more to it than being smart.”

“Kent does lack a bit of… sensitivity, and there are those that say there’s no sympathy in him, but that’s not true, either,” Kokoa said. She’d seen him show some unexpected kindness before, though he’d been annoyingly logical about it all the same. “I’ll talk to him. Maybe we can come to some kind of understanding.”

“Are you sure you want Kent? Mine would tell you to go for Ikki.”

“It’s not that kind of marriage,” Kokoa reminded Sawa. At least with Kent, she knew she wouldn’t have to fend off any seduction attempts. She didn’t even think he saw her as a woman unless it was to complain about how being female made her more emotional. He hated that she made so many decisions based on how she felt. He wasn’t going to develop feelings or complicate a political marriage with sex.

After all, she didn’t need an heir, just someone who wouldn’t abuse the power being married to her would give them, someone who’d do right by her brother.

That was Kent, even if she didn’t want to admit it.

* * *

“The point of halting the council meeting at noon is to eat the midday meal, you know. You’re actually supposed to eat it.”

Kent glanced back toward the tray the servants had brought him, shaking his head. “As you have already helped yourself to it, Ikkyu, it will not go to waste.”

“That’s not my point. When was the last time you ate? And don’t make that face at me. I know you too well for you to lie to me, which you also know and that’s why you’re grimacing because you know I won’t believe you,” Ikkyu said. He carried over some of the fruit, holding the bowl out to Kent. “It doesn’t solve anything for you to do this.”

“Nothing solves anything. The council is completely useless without someone in Nhil’s place. It does not matter that the princess exists or that she is capable of making certain decisions—admittedly not always wise ones—because she is female and Orion should be the one on the throne if Nhil is not, and yet he is too young by the same laws that demand it.”

“I know. We’ve had this conversation before. Eat.”

“I have no appetite.”

“You were always like this before a battle,” Ikkyu said, setting the bowl down on Kent’s desk. “You see war coming, don’t you?”

“Two wars. One civil, where the nobles fight between themselves for control of Orion and the throne. The other… our enemies, capitalizing on our weakness. When that is done, there will be nothing left of us.”

“I go out in a blaze of glory, at least, right? A hero and a legend?”

Kent put a hand to his head. “Why would you want that? It is no great thing to die in battle. It is stupidity and pride and not valor and honor. I have never seen the point in it.”

Ikkyu shrugged. “You’ve never seen value in intangible things. Some men need that, though. They need to believe that what they’re fighting for matters, and it did when we were at war. We stopped an invasion, counter-attacked, and made all our enemies afraid of us. That has earned us peace for the past five years.”

“Peace Nhil threw away in an instant by failing to return.” Kent turned away from his desk, ignoring the food and going to the bookshelf, taking out a book he’d already consulted twice today. “There is little other recourse at this point. The council will have to name someone for her to marry, and that wedding will have to take place within the fortnight, though within the week would be better.”

“I realize you have reasons why you don’t want to make that decision, but as the head of the council, you don’t have much choice.”

“There should be some allowance in the law to appoint a regent even if the princess is not married. What if she were a child as well?”

Ikkyu grimaced. “Ken, she’s a woman.”

“Now, yes, but if she’d been even a couple years younger—”

“No, you really are too good for this world sometimes in spite of your knowledge and brutal strategy. They wouldn’t care if she was a child because she’s female. Her only value is in being married off to someone and producing heirs, so… the law doesn’t care if she’s too young. Or if she has her own mind. She’s just a bartering piece.”

“She is not.”

“You know that. I know that. The world even seems to know that, but the laws are still the same. You can’t change that by a few words.”

“Only one person has stepped forward to try and take that position. I do not understand—I know there are others who are interested, who want that power. Why have none of them made a move?”

“Quite a few of them are already married and don’t have any sons of age to do it, either.”

“I doubt their ambitions would balk at ridding themselves of their current wives should they want that power so badly. They have already killed for it. What is one more life?”

“Nothing to them, I’m sure. Isn’t the wife of one of the council members sick right now?”

“Two of them are. Supposedly those members went home at the break to be with them.”

“Bastards.”

“I cannot prove that they have made their wives ill to free themselves and take control of the princess by marriage and the throne by extension. If I could, I’d have you arrest them now, but as it is, we must wait for them to make another move. That… will likely mean more deaths.”

“Not if you appoint a regent first. Their wives might make a miraculous recovery.”

“That is unlikely as well.”

“You have to have one possibility for a regent that’s not a complete bastard out for control. And don’t look at me—I already told you I’m not doing it.”

Kent frowned again. “I thought you liked the princess.”

“I do. She’s pretty and sweet, and hilarious to watch when she’s getting the better of you.”

“She does not get the better of me.”

“Oh, she does. No one else wins with you, but she does, and it’s something to see. Of course, I know _why_ she wins with you, so that means having me do the regent thing would be impossible.”

Kent shook his head. “You make no sense. And even though we are discussing this, I don’t believe you’re the right choice for the regent.”

“Ouch.”

“Your popularity is divisive. I do not think it wise.”

“Then you have someone else in mind?”

Kent did not. He knew of one option that did seem best, and yet he knew it would be impossible, so he did not even mention it. “No.”

“I’ll help you go over the possibilities. We can find someone to—” A knock came on the door, and they both looked over as it opened and the very woman they’d just been discussing stepped inside. Ikkyu gave her an elegant bow. “Your highness.”

Kent nodded to her, not attempting the bow that would likely end in him embarrassing himself in some pathetic display.

“Hello,” she said, looking rather uncomfortable. “Um… Kent… can we talk?”

* * *

“You want me to do what now?”

Kokoa winced. She actually hadn’t thought it would be that difficult to make Kent understand that this was for the good of the country, but as soon as she’d said marriage, that look of _you’re such an idiot_ had turned to _you are completely insane_ and she swore he was acting like she’d asked him to fly to the moon, not agree to a political marriage.

“Marry me.”

Kent removed his glasses and pinched his nose. “That is what I thought you said, and yet I find it very hard to believe you’re saying it to me.”

She sighed. “You know that whoever marries me becomes Orion’s regent.”

“Yes.” Kent looked at her, and that sense that he thought she was nuts was even stronger than before. She almost wanted to tell him to forget it and run so she didn’t have to finish this conversation, but that wasn’t an option. She had to arrange something, and if not with Kent, than probably with Ikki. “Yet given our constant disagreements and your low opinion of me and my humanity in general, I find it rather difficult to believe that you are asking me to take on that role. You have never said you valued my counsel or that you thought I’d be worth listening to for simple matters. This is ruling a country, and you ask me, a man you despise, to do it?”

She flinched. “I don’t hate you, Kent. I find you very annoying. There’s a difference. And yes, I am asking you. I might have asked Shin or Toma—”

“That is regrettably impossible now.”

“And there are some that say I should ask Ikki—”

“I don’t doubt that Ikkyu has his supporters, and I would not deny that he is intelligent or capable, but you may well divide the kingdom with such a choice. Though it is erroneous, there are few that believe him faithful or loyal to any companion, and you would be a mockery. Those women scorned by his decision to marry would not take it well, and you’d make an enemy of Rika, who has her own share of influence over the court.”

Kokoa nodded. She knew all that. That was why she was here. “You are the best choice for this, Kent. You have a position that has respect, and you’re the youngest person to hold it in centuries. People both fear and respect your ability to lead in battle—”

“I advised. I did not lead.”

“—and you ‘control’ the uncontrollable in Ikki. You’re brilliant, everyone agrees on that, and you’re not a foreign agent or someone with ties there that could be considered a potential spy. I suppose I could ask other members of the council, but almost all of them are married and the two that aren’t—”

“Those are not options. I do not want to speak further of what I know, but I would advise against either one. There are issues both personal and otherwise that would make them very unsuitable.”

She folded her arms over her chest. “You really do think I’m stupid, don’t you?”

“Excuse me?”

“Do you think I didn’t think about that before? That I haven’t considered these things? Kent, I don’t _want_ to get married. I don’t want to do this, but Nhil is gone. Shin and Toma are dead. And if I don’t do something, the whole kingdom will suffer. You are about the only choice I have, and believe me, I did look for others. Are you going to keep protesting and treating me like I’m an idiot for asking when you should be able to see this, too? Aren’t you a genius? Don’t you know why it has to be you?”

He turned away from her. “I do not believe you are unintelligent, nor do I think you would not have considered this matter carefully.”

“Then why—”

“Fine. I’ll do it. Make whatever arrangements are necessary, but I do not wish to be part of planning any of it.”

She swallowed. “I… Kent...”

“We both know what this is and what it is not. I am accepting the responsibility and the likelihood of my possible demise. You need not feel guilty. I am aware of the choice I am making. Now I would like to be alone. I have much to do.”

She nodded, turning to leave, but she stopped and looked back at him, still troubled by his reaction. She wanted to make this better somehow, and yet she knew she couldn’t.

“Thank you.”

He gave a short, bitter sort of laugh. “I assure you, there is nothing to be thanking me for.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kokoa tries to make preparations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is interesting to add to existing pieces and try and make a cohesive story of them. There's potential conflict with what I already wrote, and it's hard to balance what needs to be covered with what's already been done.
> 
> Still, all of this is new, and I think it's all kind of important even if some parts of it are a little more humorous than others.

* * *

“I guess we start planning a wedding,” Kokoa said, sitting down and trying to sort out how she felt. She hadn’t thought Kent would be so difficult to convince, not when he was so damned practical most of the rest of the time, and yet he’d seemed… reluctant. Had she really been right to ask him? Maybe she shouldn’t have.

“You mean Kent actually agreed?” Sawa asked, and Kokoa frowned to see her friend’s shock. “I mean… um… You didn’t have to ask Ikki?”

“Why is it so hard to believe that Kent would do what’s necessary for the kingdom?” Kokoa knew he would, that was why she’d gone to him first, even if there were some parts of her that would have preferred Ikki or was still feeling guilty over not asking Shin or Toma before she couldn’t. Would that have saved either of them? She didn’t know, but she wished she had if it could have.

“It’s not,” Orion said, coming over with another pastry in his hand. He did love sweets, didn’t he? “I figured Kent would say yes. Sawa was afraid you’d say something terrible and make him say no.”

“Orion,” Sawa hissed, and Kokoa looked at her. She sighed. “I know you don’t want to do this, and I know you don’t like him very much, so… I was afraid you’d say too much of that and not enough of why Kent’s the best choice.”

“I see.”

“I still wish you didn’t have to,” Orion said, frowning. “If I were a little older, maybe you wouldn’t. Maybe I could just do this on my own. I’m not stupid, and I had lessons all this time for helping out with stuff like you do. Not taking over all of what Nhil used to do, but some of it.”

“You’re still a boy,” she said, pulling him close and kissing the top of his head as he protested. “And I want you to be able to enjoy that while you can, even if it is still different when you’re a prince.”

“Though if you keep eating like that, you will get fat,” Sawa said, reaching for Orion’s pastry. He jumped away from her. She sighed. “You do need to eat more than sweets, and it’s not fair to the kitchen to keep asking for them because they can’t refuse you.”

“Sawa, you are such a mother,” Mine said as she came into the room, shutting the door behind her. “And next time you have to go sit in on the meeting with the council wives.”

“Scared of the old ladies?” Orion teased, taking a big bite out of his treat.

“No, I’m not,” Mine said. She sighed. “They were all talking down to me because I’m supposedly the only one there that Ikki hasn’t favored.”

Sawa grimaced. “I thought he had better taste than that.”

“I know, right? Why wouldn’t he pick me over some of them?”

“That’s not what I meant, Mine,” Sawa said, shaking her head. “Ikki is disgusting, sleeping with so many women. That’s just wrong.”

“Kent told me that’s an exaggeration,” Kokoa said, rubbing at her head. She’d yelled at him once because she couldn’t understand how he’d call a man like that friend after what she’d heard about Ikki and two ministers’ wives, and he’d gotten mad at her in turn for listening to gossip and rumors without ever verifying the facts.

“That many women claiming Ikki’s favor can’t be an exaggeration.”

“It is if none of them want to feel like Mine did when she was the one being excluded.” Kokoa grimaced and looked at her brother. “All the same, if you grow up to be like Ikki, I will not forgive you.”

Orion made a face. She tried not to laugh at his expression. “I don’t want to be like Ikki. Well, maybe the strong warrior part, but the other bit? Gross. Who wants to be around that many women anyway?”

“Oh, really?” Sawa asked, putting a hand on her hip, and Orion ducked behind Kokoa.

“Save me.”

She laughed. “You did it to yourself.”

“I did not. She took it the wrong way.”

“Forget about that,” Sawa said. “If Kent agreed, then we have work to do. How soon are you thinking of doing this, anyway?”

“There’s no real reason to wait, and drawing it out will make things worse, so… as soon as possible. Within the week would probably be best.”

Mine frowned. “What?”

“That’s rushing it a bit. No one’s going to think you did this for anything but naming a regent if you don’t put a little effort into it and give it some time.”

Kokoa grimaced. She didn’t want people to have a reason to challenge the marriage, but she also knew they couldn’t wait, either. Waiting had cost Shin and Toma their lives.

“Not if everyone thinks they were just fighting because they couldn’t admit they liked each other,” Orion said. “That was in that book of yours, right, Kokoa? They fought and fought because they couldn’t admit they loved each other. And then they lived happily ever after once they stopped fighting.”

Kokoa flushed. “What book are you talking about?”

Sawa giggled. “Your diary?”

“That’s not funny. I wouldn’t say that about Kent. He’s… he’s impossible. Just… I don’t even remember reading one like that, Orion. I don’t know where you got that idea from, but forget it.”

“Wait, what happened while I was gone?” Mine asked. “Why are we talking about Kent like you like him? I mean, he’s not bad to look at, but marriage?”

“Kokoa has to marry to give Orion a regent and keep the country safe. And the best person for that is Kent.”

Mine’s eyes got wide. “Are you sure about that? You really want to marry Kent? I’d have picked Ikki. Oh, he’d make it fun even if it was political, and you may as well enjoy it. Everyone says Ikki makes sure a lady does.”

Kokoa winced. “Mine, do you realize what would happen if I married Ikki?”

“You’d have a good time?”

“The rumors,” Sawa said. “No one would believe he was faithful to her, even if he was, and that would make him unfit to be a regent and her a laughing stock.”

Mine grimaced. “Oh. Right.”

“Kent will be faithful,” Orion said, smiling. She frowned when she saw he had another pastry already. “Everyone says he’s very loyal.”

They did, and Kokoa didn’t have any reason to believe Kent would fail to live up to their agreement. He was a dutiful man if nothing else.

“I think the end of the week for the wedding,” Kokoa said, aware that both of them were gaping at her. “It can’t wait. Both of you know that. I think it would be best to announce it tomorrow night.”

“That’s going to be a lot of work to put together two special occasions like that so close together,” Sawa said, recovering a little. “You need dresses and there’s food to think about and—”

“Don’t think you can talk me out of this,” Kokoa warned. “The sooner we name a regent, the sooner things calm down. Otherwise we might see civil war, and I won’t let that happen. Nhil used to throw parties on a whim. They can be done, even if it’s hardly fair to ask. So… we’ll do this. We have to. There’s no alternative.”

* * *

“You came in through the door. That’s different.”

“It is daylight,” Waka said, feeling a bit amused as he joined Kent on the balcony. Nhil had insisted on giving the head of the council this office to remind him of all he oversaw, though few used it as well as Kent did. His predecessor, in particular, was not one to remember who he worked for, only his own interests. A fool to the end, no one had been sorry or surprised when he got himself killed in the war. “I save those movements for the cover of dark.”

“The sun will set soon enough.”

“Yet that is not what concerns you at present.”

Kent shook his head. “All my attempts to forestall something have been futile, and it does look like other efforts were in vain as well.”

“You still see civil war in our future.”

“You make me sound prescient. I am not. I am only aware of the precarious nature of our situation,” Kent said, taking off his glasses. “You leave for the north at nightfall, yes?”

Waka nodded. “I am hopeful that there is more truth to the reports I’ve gotten about Nhil’s presence there than the ones I followed to the south. I dislike when my time is wasted, though I doubt any of them will make such a mistake again, no matter how great their greed.”

“And the others? Are they well enough to go with you?”

“One, perhaps.” Waka didn’t know that he would consider it wise, even for that one, but he understood why Kent felt it necessary he did not go alone. The north remained bitter after the last war, with many of its generals and commoners alike wishing for revenge against anyone who’d been in that campaign. Waka’s part of it was unknown to most, as the glory had been given to Ikki and Kent, but that did not mean it was not dangerous for anyone loyal to this land.

“That will have to be enough,” Kent said, though he still looked troubled as he replaced his glasses. “I do not have to tell you this, but… be careful.”

“Your concern is touching.”

“From me?” Kent snorted. “I am the heartless strategist. No. It cannot have escaped your notice that we have already sustained too many losses of late, and we cannot afford more, not even if it might mean finding Nhil.”

“Agreed, at least about the losses. I have no intention of being reckless. The prince already did that and caused us all a great deal of trouble.”

Kent nodded. “It is true he could not have known that the king would die in his absence, but he did not take enough steps to ensure he could be located if something did happen, and his own lack of contact… if it is not irresponsible, then he may well be dead. If he is irresponsible, I doubt his sister will ever forgive him.”

“No, I expect she will not have an easy time of that.”

Kent looked at him. “It is surprising you think it is even possible.”

“They are blood, are they not? And even were that not the case, she has a generous heart.” Waka looked at him. “Though I suppose you feel she will not forgive you.”

“She has shown no sign of it before now, and if things progress as they must… she will not.” Kent turned back to the city, though he closed his eyes and did not look at it.

“Then you and the council are going forward with naming a regent.”

“No. She has chosen one for herself.”

“Then why would she not forgive you?”

“Because I am the one she chose.”

* * *

“This is so exciting,” Mine said, holding up a bit of fabric against Kokoa. “We’re planning your wedding. Oh, wedding. Yes.”

Sawa frowned at her, knowing she wasn’t alone in doing so. “Mine, not that long ago, you were saying Kokoa made the wrong choice, and now you’re celebrating?”

“Well, she might not have picked the perfect guy, but Kent’s still a very good looking man,” Mine said. She smiled to herself, and Sawa knew she was picturing Kokoa’s future husband doing something naughty. She gave her a sharp poke in the side, and Mine frowned at her.

“Please don’t fantasize about Kent,” Kokoa said. “That’s… I…”

“He’s _her_ husband now, or will be soon, which makes it wrong,” Orion said, coming back over to them. “The cooks said they’d have everything ready for tomorrow night, especially when I told them what you said about the other meals. They insisted on making you at least a little something, though. You can’t announce your wedding on an empty stomach.”

Kokoa winced. “You… I can’t…”

“I had to tell them they were preparing for a party, and they weren’t too happy about it until I said you’d found the man you wanted to marry, which changed everything. Everyone’s so happy for you now. Especially after what happened.”

She flinched, and Sawa sighed. She knew Orion meant well, but he should still use more care. It wasn’t like Kokoa was the only one who felt Shin and Toma’s loss, they all did, but Orion’s enthusiasm for this wedding would make anyone doubt that. Same with Mine, Sawa supposed.

“I think the people need a reason to be happy, to feel safe,” Mine said. “You getting married does that for them.”

Sawa nodded. “They’ll all be reassured once the regent is established. That’s why you chose to do this, remember?”

“I know.”

“Not that one, Mine. That color’s awful on her.”

“I chose that one,” Kokoa said. “I’m still in mourning.”

Orion looked at Sawa for help, and she took a breath, grimacing as she spoke. “Um, Kokoa, you will send the wrong message if you announce your wedding in a mourning dress. I know you want to honor them, but… you can’t. Not like that. If you wear a dress that’s a mourning dress, people will think Kent used his position as head of the council to make you do this.”

Kokoa’s eyes widened. “That’s not true. I asked him, and he… he actually did try to find a law that would allow for a regent without me getting married. He adjourned two council meetings where they tried to name one. He was still researching the old laws to see if there was any way of doing this without me having to get married.”

“I know that. And you know that, but the public doesn’t, so don’t wear mourning. Please.”

“Wear green,” Orion said. “You look good in it and it’ll match well with Kent’s orders.”

“That’s right. He’s out of the Clover Order,” Mine said, cheerfully pulling out another ream of fabric as Sawa winced again. Getting excited over that was wrong, too, since Kent was the last surviving member of it. All the others had been lost in the war.

“Pink,” Sawa said. “She’s the rose princess, after all. We should dress her in pink.”

“Ooh, we can put rose accents. Here. And here. And in her hair.”

“I think you’re scaring her,” Orion said, and Sawa had to agree. Kokoa looked ready to bolt, not at all like a woman enjoying preparing for a party.

“It’s not that bad.”

“Then you do it,” Kokoa snapped, shoving all the fabric away from her. She grabbed her mourning veils and fled the room, leaving the others standing there in shock. Sawa wasn’t all that surprised, not when she already knew how little Kokoa liked the fuss and hated being forced to marry anyone, but that didn’t make it much easier to see her run away from them.

“Now what?”

“Leave her be. We have her other dresses. We’ll make it based on those sizes and adjust it if we need to.”

* * *

“What are you doing here?”

Kent frowned, turning around to face Kokoa. He should not have been surprised to see her here at the mourning stones, but he had thought her time for visiting had already passed. He did not even know why he himself was standing here, though he’d wanted to walk and clear his head after speaking to Waka. Their conversation was far from encouraging, not that Kent had expected it to be.

“I got lost.”

She stared at him, pushing up her veils and taking a closer look. “You… you’re actually not lying about that.”

“I was distracted, and somehow I ended up here,” Kent said, looking back at the stones. They accused without words, both of them, and were those men present now, he felt certain his life expectancy would be short. “I can leave. I would not wish to disturb your mourning.”

She shook her head, sitting down on the marble bench beside the memorials. “I won’t make you go. That… I just needed to get away from my ladies-in-waiting for a few minutes. They… the fuss over the wedding...”

He nodded. He’d refused to have any part of it for a reason. It would cloud his mind from what he needed to be doing, and it was difficult enough to keep his attention on the matters at hand with the larger threats looming over them.

“Did you cancel today’s council session?”

“It seemed superfluous. They wanted a decision on your marriage, and you have made it.”

“Oh.”

Kent’s back was bothering him again, and he reached a hand to the old wound, grimacing. “It is likely to rain again. Probably very soon, given how much that hurts. You will not want to linger here.”

“I’ll go if it rains. I can’t stay away for very long anyway.”

“You do realize you should be going about with an escort in the first place,” he said, and she glared at him. “You are the princess, and you are necessary for control of the throne. If nothing else, these markers should remind you that even this castle is not a safe place for you. Why would you go anywhere alone? Are you foolish or is this situation truly that repugnant to you that you’d risk your own life instead of face it?”

She folded her arms over her chest. “As much as I would like to slap you again right now, no. I’m not some coward to go dying rather than marry you and save everyone. I hate having guards follow me everywhere, and since they’re always men, it’s awkward. It was different when Shin and Toma were alive, but these others… I catch some of them staring at Sawa or Mine or even me… or I get followed into my bedroom—and don’t say it, I don’t care if it’s not safe, they don’t have to be in my bedroom—and I would rather mourn in private. One of them actually… snickered when he followed me here.”

“I will send you some of the ones Waka trained. I assure you they will not behave in such a manner.”

“I thought Waka’s men were all spies.”

“Waka is more than a spy, though he is good at retrieving information, that is true. And he trains men for many purposes. Ikkyu profited from his tutelage, in that it saved his life on more than one occasion.”

“Just Ikki? Not you?”

Kent looked off into the distance, not wishing to think about that time. “I did learn. One must understand the techniques to deploy them in battle, and I was responsible for that much, at least.”

“The Clover Order,” she said. “‘With proper planning and skill, one does not need luck.’”

He grimaced at hearing the motto of his now defunct corps. “Obviously, that does not hold. I… I should go back inside now. There’s still a lot to do even if one matter is… near resolution. It… if you do not intend to stay for a long time, it would perhaps be better for you to walk with me.”

She nodded, rising with less protest than he would have expected, though she almost had to run to keep up with his basic pace. “Would you stop that? What kind of an escort are you?”

“It is not my fault you’re so short.”

“You’re the one that’s unnaturally tall. What were your parents, giants?”

“Do you think you are the first to ask me that? It is rather a tedious question.”

“So answer it already. Your parents were mountain dwellers of impressive stature like the mighty kingdoms of old. It’s not that hard to say.”

“My parents were ordinary people. Scientists at an academy burned to the ground in the first wave of the invasion. Neither of them survived.”

She stopped, and he got a few steps ahead of her before he noticed. He turned back to look at her. “What are you doing now?”

“How can you say that and not have any reaction to it at all?”

“What emotion I felt was purged on the battlefield,” Kent said. “I had my revenge, tenfold, and it did not change anything. They are still dead, as are a great many others. War is nothing but waste.”

He started to walk again, almost willing to leave her behind when she continued to gape at him. She did run up to him, out of breath and likely tearing her skirts again, against all decorum expected of a lady in her position.

“I didn’t know. About your parents. Or… the rest of it. Were… were you already in the army when it happened? When they died?”

“Why are we still discussing this?”

“Well, excuse me for wanting to know a bit about the man who’s going to become my husband. You know too much about me because you’re head of the council even if you weren’t around for my childhood like Shin and Toma. I don’t hardly know a thing about you.”

He supposed that was true. “I was not in the army before the invasion. I was a scientist like my parents. If you ask others, you will hear exaggerated tales of my part in repelling that invasion, how I rallied the villagers and deployed a counterattack. Those things happened, the invaders were pushed back, but as for my part… Everything past seeing my parents’ condition for myself is hazy and I doubt there is any truth to me being of assistance. It is something they wish to claim now that I have become… famous in a way, but it is not accurate.”

She nodded. “I understand.”

“You do?”

“There is a fog that comes from grief. I still don’t quite remember what happened when Father passed. I heard I was strong and gave orders, and I know you and I fought over something, but I don’t really remember what it was.”

He considered that for a moment. “It is perhaps better for our future relations if you continue to forget what it was.”

“Oh, now I want you to tell me.”

“I do not think so.” He was not sure he discounted the possibility of her doing him some violence in his sleep if she did remember what he had said about her brother. The only thing he had in his favor was that it was about Nhil, not Orion.

“Come on. Tell me.”

“I am not so foolish.”

“Are you scared of me?”

“You have slapped me before, as you yourself brought up earlier, but no, you are not frightening so much as...” He stopped and looked around them. “It will be difficult enough for us to… be a couple... as most of our conversations are arguments. I will not add fuel to the fire.”

She grimaced. “You’re right about that. Sawa couldn’t even believe I got you to agree to this, and if she didn’t believe it… Who will?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few more plans and considerations are made before the party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly didn't think it would take this much to get to the first party, but it did. It is a bit long, but also necessary and humorous for the most part.
> 
> One scene I did write and show before posting this story here, and it didn't change much, but it's also very important.
> 
> Oh, and I added cover art to chapter one. I tried to make the one prince Orion. It's not perfect, but it's kind of nice.

* * *

“I do believe it is likely many will suspect this to be a union only for what we agreed upon,” Kent said, and Kokoa winced, not wanting to hear that, though she’d actually said it first. Somehow it sounded worse coming from him. It didn’t help that he was frowning like that.

He didn’t actually think this was _her_ fault, did he? She hadn’t done anything wrong. She’d made the best choice—almost the only choice—she could, and she was going to honor it, though he might be right to think she was crazy. How were they going to act like a true married couple?

“It is also true that many marriages are done not for the sake of emotions but for some form of gain, be it monetary or political.”

She nodded. Her parents’ marriage was one of those, she knew that, even if she didn’t remember much of that, either. She’d been a still a child when they lost her mother giving birth to Orion. Nhil had some stories he’d tell both of them of her, but not many.

There’d even been talk of her father marrying again not that long before he died.

“Were your parents like that?”

Kent frowned. “I do not see why that would matter.”

“My parents were political, and I barely remember my mother. What about your parents? Were they married for any reason?”

“Mutual attraction.”

She gaped at him, surprised by his response. “Truly?”

He nodded. “Though both intellectuals, they were fond of each other and liked to say that the other’s intelligence was incredibly seductive. They were drawn to each other’s research and consummated that interest in a physical sense as well. After marriage, of course.”

She watched him smile as he spoke of them, and she realized a few things as he did. First, she’d never seen him smile so wistfully before—she got to see lots of smirks when he was more amused by her failures than annoyed—but just now, remembering them, he’d been genuine and almost happy.

The second thing was that he had a very nice smile, but that was not the point at all.

“So you know what a married couple acts like when it’s not about politics?”

He frowned. “I would not class us in the same manner as my parents. That is not—I do not think it wise to compare the two—that’s not really—”

“Are you blushing?”

He grimaced. “It—I am—my parents did do things in my presence that seemed a bit excessive as far as displaying emotions and affections went, and I rather think they were unnecessary as much as they both stressed that such actions were natural biological responses.”

Kokoa knew if she laughed he would not forgive her, but she couldn’t contain it and was soon giggling at the image of a young Kent looking put out when his parents kissed. She bet he had one hell of a pout. “Oh, Kent, that’s so… you.”

He frowned again. “I fail to see what is so amusing.”

She saw others around them frowning, too, but she couldn’t make herself behave, either. If she didn’t stop laughing, she’d fall, but the way they were all looking at them was far funnier than it should have been. “I don’t think they thought you could ever make me laugh.”

“I don’t know how I did, though I suppose… it must be counted as a good thing since we are for once not attracting attention because of an argument.”

“I think we just proved we can do this,” she said, and he gave her another frown. She wanted to reach up and rub the creases out of his forehead. “I just have to remember that image, and I’ll smile, and it will be fine.”

“Image?”

She nodded, though she had no intention of telling him what she’d just been thinking of. She reached up and took down her veil, folding it into her hands. Laughing while wearing that was rather inappropriate, and next he’d be lecturing her over that and they’d be right back to arguing.

“I suppose we should talk about some more practical matters,” she said, shifting the veil to her right hand and gathering up her skirt before wrapping her arm around his. “I know you said that you didn’t want to be involved in any of the planning—”

“And I do not. The logistics of flowers and food and… dresses hold no interest for me.”

“You have to eat.”

“Actually, it is documented that a human being can survive for a period of up to sixty days, though in general it is only about thirty to forty—”

“Kent, please tell me you did not research that yourself.”

“No. I mean, aside from the general observations I made when we were under siege at the northern fortress and unable to resupply, of course. It was hard to escape the knowledge gained then, though it was only a two week siege, not longer. They did think they had won, but Ikkyu, Waka, and I devised a plan, and a small strike force was able to climb over the wall and infiltrate the enemy camp at night. It was rather… efficient.”

“Efficient?”

“Their losses were high, ours were minimal, and they learned not to lay siege to us again.”

What he really meant was they’d been able to kill most of the men in the camp in their sleep, winning without raising the alarm or having to fight, and the north had been forced to withdraw back to their own border after the heavy losses. She knew that story, everyone did, though she hadn’t known that was Kent’s plan or that he’d even been there.

She swallowed. “Um, I was more thinking about the time.”

“Time?”

“We can’t really wait,” she said, “so… um… by the week’s end?”

He nodded. “I believe that is the optimal time period. It would be… you would likely prefer two weeks, but waiting more than one could be dangerous.”

She did prefer two weeks. She preferred not at all, to be honest, but she’d like to have more time. She just knew she didn’t. “Yes.”

“Then we are agreed.”

“Yes.”

“Very well. We have reached your room, and I will take my leave of you now,” Kent said, giving her that quick nod he always used instead of a bow, leaving her standing there alone and a bit bewildered.

She didn’t even remember starting to walk again, and yet… she was in front of her door. They’d made it all that way at a reasonable pace, she hadn’t had to run after him for a change, and they hadn’t even argued. They’d agreed.

She nodded to herself, feeling a bit more confident now. It might not be easy, but she and Kent could do this. They could fake a marriage.

* * *

“She’s smiling again,” Orion whispered to Sawa, who nodded. She’d noticed it, too, though she was a bit more concerned with how distracted Kokoa seemed. Her mind kept wandering while Sawa tried to ask her about the other preparations. She’d let Orion handle the food, as the kitchen servants adored him and would do whatever he asked as well as make it wonderful, so she wasn’t worried too much about that, but they still had do more, even with Mine off working on Kokoa’s dress.

“She is.”

“I’m glad she is. She’s been so sad or angry lately… Angry with Nhil, with the council… I hate that she has to do this for me… for the country,” Orion said, looking down at his feet. He looked so small again, and adorable, too. Sawa’s heart broke for him a little. He wasn’t supposed to have to bear this burden, either.

Sawa had to wonder if the rumors were true, those dark ones that said the king had actually been murdered. She didn’t know if that was true, if he’d been poisoned or died naturally, but if he had, someone had chosen this time with Nhil gone, intending to gain control through Orion and Kokoa.

That had to have been why they killed Shin and Toma.

She caught Orion looking at her and grimaced. “It’ll be okay. I know they’re still looking for Nhil, and your sister chose a good man to help her with this.”

Orion nodded. “I like Kent. I don’t always understand him, but he knows a lot. It’s kind of funny when they argue, too. She stands on her toes like she can make herself as tall as him somehow. And he leans down like looking at her like that can make her stop arguing which it never does.”

Sawa nodded. If nothing else, Kent and Kokoa were entertaining to watch.

Still, she’d put an almost impossible deadline on this, and they had a lot to do. Sawa touched her shoulder, making her jump in surprise.

“Sorry. You didn’t answer me before.”

“I didn’t? What were we discussing?”

“She asked you if you wanted to speak to Kent about the party.”

“Oh. I… I did discuss a bit with him. He agreed the end of the week was best,” Kokoa said. “I wonder what his parents were like. He said they were scientists at the academy… That’s fitting, he was one, too, before the war started. Hmm. Maybe one of Orion’s tutors remembers them.”

“Um, we’re not actually inviting my tutors, are we? I want to have fun at the party, and they’re so grouchy… they never let me have enough sweets.”

“You eat too many and you shouldn’t have them during lessons.”

Kokoa giggled. “You do sound like a mother, Sawa.”

Sawa bit back saying there wasn’t much chance of that happening, since she was pledged in service to Kokoa and even after Kokoa married, Sawa wasn’t free to do so unless Kokoa released her, but that decision wasn’t actually Kokoa’s to make—only the king or regent could, so it would have to be Kent letting Sawa out of her obligation—not that it was one—before she could consider having children of her own.

“We are not inviting the tutors, Orion. They... wouldn’t want to come.” Kokoa sighed. “We have to invite the nobles and the council members, and that’s as much as I think we dare at such short notice. Since we’ll have the nobles, it’ll be uncomfortable for others. It… The wedding’s going to have to be… oh. Very public.”

“Yes, there’s a whole carriage ride through town you’re supposed to do.”

Kokoa frowned. “That’s after the wedding, right? When we go off alone for a… oh.”

She flushed, and Sawa figured she hadn’t given much thought to the wedding night. Or to how much time she’d be spending alone with her new husband. Kokoa wasn’t usually left alone with any man, Nhil and the late king being the only exceptions before, and so that alone would be different for her, even if Kokoa had chosen Kent over the seductive Ikki.

“There’s one through town before, and one after,” Orion said. “The one before is so all the town can see you first because only a few people can be in the chapel, and then afterward… you get to be alone with Kent.”

“I just thought of something. I have to go.”

“Kokoa—”

“I’ll be back soon. Do what you can without me.”

* * *

Kent looked up as his door opened, frowning when he saw the princess enter. He rarely was graced with her presence unless she’d overheard something at the council meeting that offended her—he’d rather thought it might be expedient to ban her from those proceedings but he knew that was not possible. She was the princess and the current ruler in her brother’s absence. She had no authority to back her decisions, but she had the authority to make them.

It was rather a foolish system, and Kent thought it should be fixed, though his efforts to persuade the king of that had gone nowhere. Nhil was to be king after him and Orion if he somehow could not. His daughter was an afterthought at best.

“Are you busy?”

“I rather thought you would be, considering the time table you set for things,” Kent said, seeing her frown at him. “I understand the urgency. I am not judging that at all. I simply… What do you need? You appear distressed, and it does seem as you ignored my earlier counsel and came unescorted.”

She sighed. “Mine and Sawa are busy with the wedding preparations, and I don’t want Orion to hear this because it will scare him.”

“What?” Kent said, frowning. He knew he’d sent some of Waka’s trainees over to watch her rooms. He went to the door and looked out, needing a moment to spot both of them, as they had taken positions so as to blend in with their surroundings. They nodded to him, and he closed the door again. “It would seem the guards I sent took their orders to be unobtrusive a bit too seriously.”

“I had guards following me that entire time? I must have made a fool of myself.”

“If you paid more attention to decorum, you would not, but that is an argument we need not have again,” Kent said, tempted to guide her over to the other chair. He sometimes found a change of position was helpful in resolving matters, though Ikkyu preferred this one to sleep on. “You may as well sit.”

She did, pushing against the seat cushion with an odd sort of smile on her face. Then she stopped smiling as she looked up at him. “Who gets control of things if something happens to Orion?”

Kent found himself sitting down on the other end of the chair. “You mean, if Orion dies?”

She nodded, her face betraying her fear. “Yes. That.”

Kent grimaced. She would ask a difficult question like that. “I have been doing some research to determine that, though the lines of succession are not entirely clear in this case as they do seem to subvert you and any female relations, though arguably claims to the throne are stronger through the late king’s sister than others. It… With Nhil missing and Orion gone, it would have likely meant that Shin or Toma should have had the position, even as distant as cousins to you as they were. They were an obstacle that had to be removed.”

She recoiled from him. “How can you say that? That’s—”

“True to the mind you are attempting to understand, the mind of someone whose ambition for the throne would lead them to see lives as nothing more than a nuisance. If one holds to that position, then… the king first, naturally, and acting while Nhil is missing is best, as the confusion allowed for them to also take steps against others. If Orion dies, the line of succession is not clear, though there are a few I believe would make claim to it.”

“And I can’t.”

“You should have a stronger claim than anyone, but that is not how the laws are written. The mentality of this kingdom seems to believe you exist only to create some kind of alliance and are not necessary at all.”

She winced, putting a hand to her head. “I… I know that’s true, but you don’t have to say it like that. I… I am more than that.”

“I do not disagree, but I have found no allowance in the law for it, not even for allowing you to step out of your current role as… wife of the regent.”

She sighed. “I know. I know you looked. I’m grateful to you, I am, I just… Sawa and Orion were discussing part of the wedding and there’s this open carriage to ride in and then… we’re supposed to go off alone as is tradition, but if we do that… will they hurt Orion?”

“If this is being arranged by someone who feels they have a claim to the throne, then yes. It is possible they would target him, though I had not actually planned on… Oh.” Kent had not actually planned on them going to the traditional home of the royal family for their wedding night, even If that was the custom. It was not necessary, after all, or so he’d thought, but considering other practices regarding certain wedding nights and the required act of consummating the marriage—often in front of an audience—Kent did believe it would be better to go for the privacy of the royal villa. “There are multiple rooms in that house. I suggest we bring Orion with us.”

“You do?”

Kent nodded. “Although it does put their targets in the same space, which is a risk, it would be simpler to keep him nearby. I think you would find it easier to rest knowing that he was close rather than being agitated over the unknown.”

She nodded. “Yes. Thank you. That’s… It’ll be good if he’s there. I…”

“Was there something else?”

She sighed. “Orion’s the only real target, right? Sitting in an open carriage… that’s not too dangerous? It’s tradition, and I think they’ve already got it arranged, but… if it’s not safe...”

Kent frowned. He supposed that it was something to consider, but he felt like he was being pulled into planning the wedding despite his specific request not to have anything to do with it. He sighed, removing his glasses. “If the claim is through the royal line, you are at risk, as is Orion. However, to make the attempt in such a public manner seems contrary to their actions so far. I believe they will not strike during the ceremony. It should be safe to proceed with the usual traditions.”

“You’re sure?”

“Reasonably so.” Kent knew nothing was certain at this point, though some choices and losses did seem inevitable. He felt it more likely they would leave her and Orion alive, as taking control as a regent was more likely than any distant claim to the throne. Also, she was popular with the people, and anyone who killed her would risk turning the entire kingdom against them.

She nodded. “If you’re sure, then we’ll go ahead with it. Thank you, Kent. I… I’m sorry I bothered you. I just didn’t want anything to happen to Orion.”

She stood, and he rose as well. “It is understandable. He is next in line to the throne.”

“He’s my brother. I care about him because of that. If I could make it so he didn’t have to rule, I think I would. He should be able to be a child, not just a prince.”

Kent felt that was rather an absurd thought, as nothing could change what the child had been born to besides a complete change of government that was extremely unlikely to happen and could be dangerous even if it did.

“Orion should be safe. You should all have Waka’s men watching over you.” Kent opened the door for her. “It is late, and you should be in your own rooms. Sleeping.”

“I know. I just needed to see you.”

Kent heard someone gasp and frowned as a pair of noblewomen went rushing away, whispering as they did. He frowned at the other door. Had they been there to see Ikkyu? That figured, and yet it was also tiresome.

“You should go.”

She bowed her head and walked away. He waited until he saw the guards start to follow her before he returned to his office, feeling unsettled.

He went back to his desk and picked up the records he’d been reviewing earlier. He did not want to make a mistake about this, and if there was someone with a strong claim, he had to find out who it was so they could be dealt with.

* * *

“Morning.” Orion peered down at his sister with a grin, and she groaned, trying to pull her pillow over her head. He laughed and took it as Sawa pulled back the curtains. They were going to be very busy today since they were making the announcement later. He was kind of excited about it, even if he knew he shouldn’t be.

Neesan didn’t want to do this, and she shouldn’t have to, but it was still a party, and he liked parties. Orion would get lots of food, and there would be plenty of music and other fun. Plus he knew his sister would have a nice dress and look pretty like always, but even more so, and that was good, too. He thought she liked feeling pretty, and she definitely would tonight.

Plus, she’d actually smiled yesterday, and Orion wanted to believe that was good, too.

“Go away, Orion.”

“He can’t. We still have a lot to do. I started by having the heralds spread word of the party to the nobles, but that’s hardly enough. Mine says she needs to test the dress on you—she was up all night working on it, so don’t say no—and there are still more things to plan.”

Neesan sighed. “I… Fine.”

“I’m here!” Mine called out as she came in, another maid trailing behind her to carry the rest of the dress. Sawa frowned, and Neesan sat up with a look of horror on her face, her hair going everywhere. “And I’ve got the dress.”

“How many roses did you put on that thing?” Neesan asked, wincing. “I can’t—”

“Try it on, and we’ll make adjustments,” Sawa said, making Neesan sigh again. Orion could see why she was a little worried. She was the rose princess, but she usually only wore a few roses as accents here and there, sometimes only just one, not the whole army of them that seemed to be on this dress. It didn’t look bad, exactly, but it was _very_ fancy.

“I’m excited,” Orion told her, knowing it would help if he said as much to her. She’d do it for him if no one else. “I can’t wait to see.”

“Oh, you can,” Mine said, snapping her fingers and another maid came forward, carrying a new uniform for him. He frowned.

“What is this?”

“You didn’t think you could get away without dressing for the occasion, did you? I had the girls do yours, too.”

“I did send word to the tailor, too. He said he’d have Kent’s ready by this evening.”

Neesan looked over at Sawa. “You did? I… I didn’t even think about that.”

“We did,” Mine said. “Kent goes about in whatever is convenient and it’s almost a good look for him, but he needs to dress the part, too, so we found the right tailor and made it a royal decree. It’ll be done in time.”

Neesan was getting that panicked look in her eyes again. This was not good.

“I have cookies,” Orion offered, and she started laughing, opening her arms to draw him into a hug. He did, hoping they were doing the right thing. Kent was a good person, so he wouldn’t hurt her or the kingdom, but he did want her to be happy, too.

* * *

“You don’t look like you slept at all,” Ikki observed, looking at Kent. The more this situation with the succession dragged on, the worse Ken seemed to get. He’d been like this in the war, and Ikki didn’t like seeing it. Though it was illogical and senseless to die in battle no matter how great the glory, Ken had kind of seemed like one of the ones who didn’t know what to do with themselves after it was over. Plenty of those men had died ignoble deaths since it ended, causing stupid trouble in taverns or just drinking their lives away.

Ikki, Ken, and Waka were the luckier ones. They all had places in this life after the war. Waka still stuck to the shadows where he worked best, and Ken was right where he should be leading that council. The job was thankless, but they needed someone like him to do it. He wasn’t just someone who saw to the needs of the nobles or the commoners or the military. He considered them all and made sure things stayed balanced for the whole kingdom.

Ikki wasn’t entirely sure how he’d ended up responsible for the armies of the entire kingdom, but he couldn’t complain, either.

“I did not. I have been reviewing the records on succession.”

“I thought you already did that.”

“I did, but something Kokoa said got me thinking, and I went back to them again,” Ken said, taking off his glasses and rubbing a hand over his face. Ikki swore it was about time for drastic measures and would put something in his meal if he thought Ken would actually eat it this time. As it was… he’d have to drug the coffee.

“Did you find anything this time?” Ikki wanted to believe it was worth it this time, but he doubted it. Ken was going to work himself into the grave before this was over.

“There doesn’t seem to be anyone with a claim that did not come from a female member of the royal family,” Ken said, massaging his neck now. “Given the current laws… No one has sufficient claim besides Orion, which means if one of them was doing this… they want civil war.”

Ikki winced. That was not good. “Maybe it’s not one of them.”

“The possibility exists that it is outside interference. We were too strong to be invaded, so they know they cannot win that kind of war, but if we destroy ourselves… That leaves us where they want us. It is not the first time I’ve considered it.”

“I know.”

“I do still think that at least some are only after her. They want the regency.”

Ikki nodded. He could see that. Kokoa wasn’t a bad prize on her own, cute as she was, but being able to be king in all but name and getting her? Plenty of men must be tempted. “Did you decide on someone, then? I heard you canceled the afternoon session. That a delaying tactic or—”

“It was not.”

“Then… you settled on someone?”

Ken grimaced. “The matter has been left to her.”

Ikki took a breath and let it out. “I see. I guess that’s the best compromise you have, letting her pick. Then she can’t be too mad about it.”

Ken laughed bitterly. “I doubt that very much, but it was the only option I saw, you are correct in that much.”

“And I am also right in saying you need to sleep. Come on. Back to your room. If I have to drag you there myself, I will.”

Ken shook his head. “There is too much to be done for that.”

“And you are too tired to see straight, so quit arguing with me. If it’s in her hands, it’s in her hands. All you can do is wait and see what she does with it.”

* * *

“Everything’s ready except this now,” Sawa said, holding out the dress to Kokoa. She grimaced again, not sure she could wear that thing. Once Mine put it on her, it didn’t look bad, not half as much as she feared when she first saw all the roses, but that didn’t mean she didn’t think she’d ruin something wearing it. She was sure to step on it, as the train was long, and the roses were delicate, so she’d end up tearing one of them or something.

“You’re sure?”

Sawa nodded. She looked tired, and Kokoa hated herself for doing this to her, but if they didn’t do this now, she knew it would be too late. She felt like waiting to get a regent would mean disaster—war, maybe, though a much worse marriage for her was almost a certainty. That man that Shin had killed trying to save her… he would have been awful, and she knew there were others like him.

“The hall is decorated, the musicians are in place. Mine saw to the final arrangements not long ago. She’s all dressed and ready, too, though she said she’s going to bed early. Not that I blame her. I don’t. It was a lot to do, but she got it done.”

“You two are the best,” Kokoa said, trying not to cry. “I’m sorry I made you do this. I just… You were right, and I delayed it too long… I don’t know… maybe I should have asked Shin or Toma, but it’s too late… and if I don’t do this with Kent soon… I think the whole kingdom will suffer. I know I will. That man… he would have claimed me by force.”

“I know.” Sawa touched her hair, combing some of it back. “And you are doing the right thing, as hard as this is. I don’t… I’m not mad. I’m just tired. We all are. It’ll be easier tomorrow after we’ve had a chance to rest.”

“Until we start planning the wedding,” Kokoa said with a wince, putting a hand to her head. “That’s going to be such a nightmare. I don’t even want to think about it. I can see why Kent wanted no part in it.”

Sawa nodded. “He’s also got a lot to do with the council. In a way, he’s already running the country. It just… isn’t official yet.”

Kokoa knew that. She saw it as another reason why Kent was the only real choice, even if she did have a few doubts and Mine thought Ikki was better. Kokoa did get along better with Ikki, it was hard not to when he was charming and easy-going, but she didn’t want to marry him. She couldn’t forget his reputation with women, and she didn’t want to believe it, but if it was true… how did he live with himself?

“So. You’re putting on this dress now, right? Because soon as I’ve got you in it, I have to go change myself.”

Kokoa winced. There she was making more trouble for Sawa. “Yes. Let’s get me ready.”

Sawa smiled and lifted up the dress, and Kokoa winced and tried not to overreact to having that much pink fabric coming at her. She pulled it on and smoothed down her skirt and winced as she did, feeling like a giant pink pumpkin.

“You hate it, don’t you?”

“I… It’s a bit much. You know I prefer simple dresses.”

Sawa nodded. “Yes, but you’re getting married, and that means something special and unique.”

“Oh, this is definitely that.”

* * *

“You realize that there’s a party going on, right?”

“It is impossible to miss the sound of the festivities, yes,” Kent said, not looking over at Ikkyu. He was busy, and he had no interest in discussing social occasions that had no meaning for him at all. He was not the sort that attended such things, and he did not want to be. He had enough of the council during their regular hours and no desire to see them outside of that time.

He had already lost too much time to Ikkyu’s earlier insistence that he sleep, and he felt behind in all his work. That had to be remedied.

“And you realize that as the head of the council, you’re expected to attend.”

“Go in my place and seduce as many women as you like. I’ve no interest in going.”

“First, you know it’s not like that. They flock to me, and I don’t have to do anything to get their attention,” Ikkyu said, almost sounding like he was pouting. “I somehow got a reputation that won’t quit when it comes to my… prowess, and it seems to get more and more exaggerated each time I talk to a woman. It’s not anything I’ve done, at least not that I’m aware of, so you can stop acting like I’m a terrible cad who stole your girl.”

Kent snorted. He had no ‘girl’ to steal, even if he had agreed to the princess’ suggestion. He’d had little recourse, he supposed, though that was of little consolation now.

“Second, the point of this gathering is to announce the princess’ engagement, which you kind of have to attend, whether you want to or not, because if you don’t, then you say the council’s opposed to her choice, and if that happens—do you want this man’s death on your hands? Because they will use that if they can as a way to justify their attempts to gain control of the prince. If they think the regent’s weak, he’s as good as dead, and if it becomes one of them—we’re all as good as dead.”

“You exaggerate, again.” Kent did not think that they’d all die because of the shift in power, though some would and others would suffer. The kingdom was in turmoil already, and it would be fuel to all fires if the regent were murdered. “Still… I suppose I will have to make an appearance, and I may have been remiss in saying I didn’t want any part of planning for this thing. I don’t even know that anyone saw fit to prepare suitable garments… Hmm...”

“Wait. Hold up. Ken, tell me what you just said doesn’t mean what I think you mean. Please. You are not doing this.”

Kent frowned. Though he knew they’d already discussed and dismissed it, he found himself asking it again. “I suppose you feel you’d be more suitable?”

“Um, no, I don’t, I know I’m not since even with all I can do, you beat me at my best and the people don’t respect me because of the rumors about me and women, but Ken… you can’t go into a political marriage like this.”

“It is practical, and the child will not be one forever. There is sufficient reason to believe that the kingdom would stabilize under a regent, and though I am not popular, I am rarely challenged.”

“I suppose that’s true, but you know that’s not what I mean. I know you’d be a great regent, and you don’t have political motives of your own—you genuinely do want what’s best for everyone, and you work for it even when no one else wants to—but damn it, you can’t marry her.”

“I am single. There is no legal reason why I cannot marry her. Stop being so—”

“You’re in love with her.”

Kent stiffened. “That is your assumption. I told you I did not believe that assertion was correct.”

“You refuse to acknowledge it as love, but it is. Trust me, it is. You’re hopelessly in love with her, and you can’t marry her when she doesn’t love you back. You’re signing yourself up for so much misery and pain, and I can’t let you do it. As your friend, no. I won’t.”

“Don’t be tedious. I am not in love with her, and I am probably more suited to a political marriage than I ever would be to any other kind.”

“You’re denying it, but think about it. Would you have done what you did for her for anyone else? I’m not just talking about agreeing to this farce—that’s an entirely separate thing—I’m talking about all the rest. You’re the one that held the council back from appointing a regent all this time because she didn’t want to marry, but you also managed to cover up some pretty big—”

“That is not to be discussed aloud. You know that.”

“Fine, but the fact remains that you did some things for her that you wouldn’t have done for anyone else. You took risks that are very unlike you, and they were all for her. That is more than just duty or practicality… they were emotional decisions you rationalized later. You love her, and this is… don’t do this to yourself. You are not heartless… you feel things more than you know how to express, and it will slowly kill you to be in this marriage.”

“Again, you exaggerate. I don’t—”

“Ken, don’t even bother. I know you. I know you love her, and you denying it doesn’t change what I know—and what you know even if you won’t admit it.”

Kent took off his glasses and pinched his nose, fighting a headache. “Even now, with all I did, there are no other alternatives. So unless you can suggest one, I believe nothing further needs to be said on this matter.”

“Did you tell her how you feel?”

“There is no need as I feel nothing. Now go away. I need to change.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party happens, the announcement is made, and things get complicated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I was always planning on this.
> 
> Not that I feel as confident in it now as I did when I decided on it or even when I wrote the first chapter, but it was the plan.
> 
> And I did originally have Kokoa's scene at the party as one long one, but I hope it works better split up.

* * *

 “He’s not coming, is he?”

Kokoa tried not to panic with those words. She knew Kent hadn’t been that enthusiastic about this idea, and he’d said he wanted no part of planning the wedding or anything related to it—which she didn’t much want to be a part of either, so she couldn’t blame him for that—but she hadn’t thought he wouldn’t show up to the engagement announcement.

If he didn’t, what did she do? She couldn’t go forward without him, and she couldn’t ask someone else at the last minute.

Ikki wasn’t even here—he probably was with Kent, wherever Kent was—so she couldn’t ask him to stand in Kent’s place. She didn’t even want to, not with all the rumors about Ikki.

“Don’t assume that,” Orion said, trying to calm her. “It’s Kent, and he hates parties, which we know, but Kent’s too logical to sabotage the wedding, right?”

“Maybe he’s just preoccupied? The council meetings have gone late all week,” Sawa said, and Kokoa tried not to grimace at that. She knew they hadn’t last night, but before that, Sawa was right. They'd all run late into the night. Things were almost out of control in the kingdom, since no clear leader stood in Nhil’s place and her decisions weren’t enough for this stupid male driven society. “I did make sure he had a uniform for the occasion. I didn’t even realize Kent had that many medals.”

“He and Ikki won several successful campaigns before Nhil left,” Kokoa reminded her. That was half the reason Kent held the position he did—people were still in awe of all he and Ikki accomplished in that war. “Nhil couldn’t wait to put an intellectual soldier on the council.”

Orion nodded. “I remember. He said Kent would have a good understanding both of war and of peace and what we needed for both. He really did like Kent, for all everyone said he spent too much time with Ukyo that artist guy.”

“I think it’s best we don’t discuss Ukyo,” Sawa said, eying Kokoa. She took a breath, shaking her head. She wasn’t upset about Ukyo going off and leaving—it was the rumors that he was the reason Nhil was gone as well that bothered her. They were close, somehow even closer than Orion and Nhil were, and Nhil would do anything for Ukyo, which had led to problems in the past. No one knew for sure where Ukyo came from, and nearly all of them thought he was a spy.

She didn’t know that she believed that, but if Ukyo was the reason Nhil was gone, she wouldn’t forgive him.

“You want me to go check on Kent? The announcement… should already have been made.”

Kokoa knew that. She was having trouble staying calm about that. She was about to send Sawa out to find Kent when the doors opened and Ikki came inside. She sighed. This couldn’t be good. “Go ask Ikki where Kent is.”

Sawa sighed. “I hate when you make me do that. I refuse to be another one of his conquests even if I did stare at him the first time I saw him.”

Orion shoved her forward, and Kokoa sat back in her seat, feeling ill. “I know this isn’t… it’s not about love. Kent… he can be kind, but I don’t think he wants to love anyone. And me… I always knew I’d have to marry someone for political reasons, but I guess… I know I held out longer, hoping for a bit more than a marriage that’s an alliance, but that…I wanted… It doesn’t matter. He should still be here.”

“He’ll come. I know he will.”

* * *

“I have no intention of ever being one of your conquests.”

Ikki frowned, looking up from his wine glass and back at the woman who’d spoken. When he did, she swallowed and seemed to falter a little. He knew her, of course, though he rarely got to see Sawa in such nice finery. She could be even fancier than usual, given how the princess was dressed, and it was not a bad look for her, though she clearly didn’t feel comfortable with it, not any more than Kokoa did her opulence.

The rose princess was in full bloom tonight, and Ikki wished he could be happier about that. He didn’t want to blame her, she was doing what was right for the country, but it was the worst thing for his best friend, and as such, Ikki couldn’t forgive her.

He shook that off and faced Sawa with a smile. “My dear lady, if I wanted you for a conquest, I really doubt you’d protest so much.”

She rolled her eyes. “You are not that attractive. Everyone else may be lining up to fall in bed with you, but some of us know better. Even if we momentarily get distracted.”

He laughed. “I certainly hope so.”

That made her frown. She, like everyone else, knew only the rumors. He didn’t seduce everyone he met, and he didn’t even want to, but she didn’t see that. “I… That’s not important. I only came to ask you if you knew where Kent was.”

“In his room, I think. I should have locked him in his office, though.”

She frowned. “What?”

He studied her. “Tell me… what does the princess think of Ken?”

Sawa blinked, her eyes getting a bit wide. “Um, she… Well, she...”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Ikki said, shaking his head. “He shouldn’t do this. I told him that. And I should have locked him in his office. Or his room. Somewhere. Anywhere. Anything that would have spared him this.”

“You don’t think he’d be a good regent? He’s already head of the council, and most people respect him even if they disagree with him. We couldn’t think of anyone else that would have enough authority… everyone else would probably end up like Shin or Toma.”

Ikki knew that was still possible. Ken had talked about the dangers any potential regent would face in dismissing some of the others, and it was true that Ken had a unique position among the people. Few would risk going against him, since he had one hell of a reputation from the war, and he had continued to impress people since joining the council.

Ikki sipped from his wine. “Ken’s good. He’d be the best regent this country could have. That’s not in debate. And he knows the risks.”

“So… why would you lock him in his room?”

“She hates him, doesn’t she?”

Sawa bit her lip. “Well...”

Ikki shook his head and returned to his wine. Ken would come, and he would do what was best for the country. It would only hurt him, but he’d do it because that was who he was.

“He made her smile yesterday.”

Ikki frowned. “Ken did that? How?”

Sawa shook her head. “I don’t know all they talked about. She was pretty distracted, we all were, but she was smiling. She hasn’t done that in a while, not when she’s not forcing one for Orion’s sake, and he always knows, but this one… it was genuine. She mentioned that Kent was a scientist like his parents. Even wanted to ask Orion’s tutors if they remembered them.”

Ikki gave a rueful smile. “Well, they were kind of unique, that’s true. Good people.”

“Oh. You knew them?”

Ikki nodded. “I did have a life before the army. Ken and I were at the academy together. Well, they’d moved him on to being a teacher himself by then, and I was kind of expecting to do the same, but the war came and everything changed. I suppose hearing about Ken’s parents might make someone smile… they did have a special way of looking at things.”

“Orion was curious, too, but then he’s said for a while now that Kokoa actually likes Kent.”

That was news to Ikki. Most people said she couldn’t stand him, and he’d never seen them have a long conversation that didn’t become an argument despite how he knew Ken felt about her. “Did he now?”

Sawa flushed red. “I didn’t—I’ve been up for so long trying to get all this done for tonight—I didn’t say that, did I? Oh, forget I did. Don’t tell people that. She won’t accept it, and Orion will be mad I said anything, and I really need to sleep… If Kent doesn’t come and this is for nothing...”

“Relax. Ken did say he was coming. He wasn’t dressed for it, though, so he went back to change.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Sawa said, putting her hand on Ikki’s arm. He eyed it, and she realized what she’d done, pulling it away like she’d been burned. “I didn’t… I’m just tired. I’m forgetting myself. If I didn’t need to stay until the announcement, I’d just go sleep now.”

“I didn’t mind. I’m actually looking forward to how this plays out now.”

“What?”

* * *

“He really isn’t coming,” Kokoa whispered, feeling like she might vomit all over her fancy dress. She’d thought they had an agreement, but now she wasn’t so sure of it. How had she gotten things so wrong? Was it because he knew how much she disliked him? “I did it, didn’t I? I said something I shouldn’t have and ruined everything just like Sawa said I would.”

“Well, you may have said something you shouldn’t have, but I don’t think you ruined anything yet. Maybe you came a little close, though.”

Kokoa looked over at her brother, and Orion smiled at her before pointing behind her. She turned and saw Kent standing there, in full dress uniform, which she thought suited him even better than Ikki because Kent had that rigid military bearing and Ikki slouched more. He did have more medals than Ikki somehow, too, which was still a bit surprising despite what she’d said to Sawa.

“Um...”

“I realize I am late. You did have some cause for concern. I was a bit… too distant from the proceedings. Next time, I believe I should probably be reminded, as if Ikkyu had not said something, I might well have skipped the entire evening. I am not sociable as a rule.”

She swallowed, still trying to find words. She was mad, but she was also so relieved she couldn’t find a way to express either emotion.

“I get to make the official announcement now, right?” Orion grinned at them, and she reached for him but didn’t catch hold of him before he bounded down to the dance floor, causing the music to stop abruptly.

Kent came around to her side, holding out his hand. She took it and rose, suddenly more nervous than she’d thought she would be. He needed to stop looking at her like that. It was too intense, and she felt like she’d crumple under it because he had to disapprove of her somehow, he always did, and she wanted to be better than that, but she wasn’t. She could never be the princess Kent expected her to be.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Orion called out to the crowd, enjoying this far more than he should. “It is my honor to announce the engagement of my sister, the rose princess Kokoa, to our very own Kent Mizutani, of the Clover Order.”

The sudden applause was deafening, and she found herself clinging to Kent as it went on. She hadn’t expected so much… enthusiasm. Yes, Orion knew how to play a crowd, but this was well beyond that, wasn’t it?

“I believe they’d be pleased to hear of any marriage you might make at this point.”

She tried not to wince. “Yes, I’m sure.”

“Should we go down there?”

“What?” Kokoa stared up at him. She felt like she’d be sick for a different reason this time. “Are you asking me to dance?”

“I believe this is a required action at a festivity such as this and befitting the arrangement as it stands. I do not consider myself good at such an action, but this particular dance is simple enough for me to manage if you are willing.” Kent looked over at the orchestra. “It would seem Ikkyu had a word with them, and it would be a waste to squander that.”

She nodded, walking down with him to the dance floor. Kent took the lead, the gentle pace of the song making its steps simple and easy to follow even as she was so nervous she was sure to step on her dress or twist her feet somehow. She’d never been this close to Kent before—well, aside from that one time they’d argued about policy so loudly that Nhil had threatened to throw them both in a lake to cool them off—and it was different seeing him like this, dressed this way and not in the clothes he wore to council meetings. He could have passed for a scholar in those, but this… this was different.

And he was still staring at her.

“They put too many roses on, didn’t they? I told Sawa and Mine not to, even if they do call me the rose princess and all, but they weren’t willing to listen and so now I’m this giant mess of rose accents and pink fabric and—”

“A few more might have been too much. This amount is plenty, though not excessive. You look very…”

“Very?”

“It... You… you look like a princess on her engagement.”

“Oh.”

“You have all the suitable finery, though it should be said that much more would detract from your natural beauty and you do not need all of it, only that it is expected of your station. It is excessive in that respect as you would likely look just as attractive in mismatched clothing that had little or no embellishment.”

Kokoa felt herself flush. Had Kent just said she was beautiful? She didn’t know how to react to that at all, not when it was Kent. Kent didn’t say anything that wasn’t logical, not a fact, and for him to consider that a fact…

She felt a little lightheaded.

“I apologize. That was rather… an awkward statement at best.”

She shook her head. “No. It’s fine. It was… Thank you.”

“I do not know what you are thanking me for, but you’re welcome.” Kent gave her a slight smile, like she’d amused him, but she couldn’t help smiling back at him. Maybe this marriage wouldn’t be so bad after all.

* * *

“Here. You look like you need this.”

Ken eyed the glass suspiciously, and Ikki shook his head, tempted to laugh. “Relax. It’s just a drink. Nothing in it. I’ll even test it for you if you want.”

Ken grimaced and took the cup from him. He sipped from it, watching the princess dance with her brother now. Ikki had gotten the two of them three slower songs he hoped Ken could manage—Ikki had never seen him dance before, though he was skilled enough in combat he might be able to fake it—and when the faster songs resumed, Orion had cut in.

Somehow Ikki doubted Ken was upset by that, no matter how much he might secretly want to keep holding onto Kokoa.

“I thought you were against this.”

“I was.” Ikki had watched the princess carefully during her dances with Ken, and although he wasn’t sure her brother was right, he did see her smile and blush when Ken spoke to her. She looked beautiful, and some might even have mistaken her for a woman in love.

“You changed your opinion so quickly? That is unlike you.”

Ikki nodded. That much was true. “I haven’t changed my mind about you. I know you’re in love with her.”

“Ikkyu—”

“I’d say everyone knows that now,” Rika said, coming up on Ikki’s side and wrapping her arm in his. He frowned, not sure why she thought she could do that. Most women wouldn’t be so bold. “I was almost afraid that she would try and take my Ikki from me, but she chose you instead. I can’t tell you how relieved I am, oh ho ho.”

Ikki tried not to shudder at her laugh. Something about it bothered him, had since he first met her. “I’m not in any rush to marry.”

“Of course not. You’re so young and virile. Why would you throw that away?” Rika asked, turning her head and hitting Ken with her hat. He glared at her. He never had liked Rika at all. Ikki didn’t think she was any worse than the others, but he did kind of enjoy it when Ken ran her off with his blunt comments. “Kent’s old enough he should already have been put out to pasture, don’t you think?”

Ikki choked on his drink. “What?”

“You do realize I am only a few years older than Ikkyu, do you not?”

She sipped from her glass, smirking to herself. “You act like such an old man, who could tell?”

“Rika,” Ikki began, not caring for this at all. “I don’t like when people insult my friends.”

She immediately bowed her head, managing to hit Ken with the hat again. “My most sincere apologies. I would never want to do something that upset Mr. Ikki. Please allow me to offer you my congratulations on your upcoming marriage. You two make a lovely couple.”

Ken didn’t seem to believe her. “Excuse me. I have council matters to attend to.”

Ikki winced, freeing himself from Rika’s grasp and hurrying after Ken. He caught up with him before he could reach the doors. “Ken, I am not going to claim she wasn’t out of line, but you can’t go yet if you’re going through with this. In fact, if you don’t go back to your future bride’s side as soon as this music ends, you are going to cause a scandal.”

Ken sighed. “This is… needlessly tedious.”

“Don’t let anyone else hear you say that about being with Kokoa.”

“It is not her presence I mind. It is this… pretense. Very few who would make such a statement to us would actually mean it. Most have their own ambitions, and almost none of them like me, so why would they want to see my marriage as a success?”

Ken wasn’t wrong about that, either. “Well, the few who genuinely want what’s best for the country will want that, and there are still some of us rooting for you. In fact, I heard you have an unexpected ally in her younger brother.”

“Orion? He hides when I come in the room.”

“Maybe, but I heard from her lady-in-waiting that the prince thinks you’re a good match.”

“He is a child.”

“You’re being impossible.”

Ken nodded, taking a sip of his drink. “The weight of everything is worse wearing these reminders of the war and all that I would rather leave behind me. I am aware that the next few days will be dangerous. Anyone seeking to control the country or create war will act soon. They have no choice.”

“You don’t think they’ll wait until after the wedding?”

“Unlikely. If it was someone wanting to use their claim to the throne, hers is still better despite the laws and any of her children would have a stronger claim as well. They also have to fear any laws I might enact while regent.”

Ikki considered that. “Would you actually have enough authority to change the ones causing her so much trouble?”

“Yes. All the research I’ve done proves that. The position of regent is essentially that of king without that title, or they would not be so interested in gaining it.”

“Were you trying to get yourself killed when you agreed to this?”

“Of course not. And we should not discuss this matter here. We are gathering too much attention again.”

Ikki could feel eyes on them. That wasn’t anything new for him, but this time he didn’t think he was the cause of the interest, since quite a few of them were staring daggers at Ken. Ikki would have to increase Ken’s security, as much as he’d hate it. “We’ll finish this conversation later.”

“I fail to see the need for that.”

“Oh, trust me, we are not done, but the music’s ending. Go get your girl.”

* * *

“That was fun.”

Kokoa smiled for Orion, reaching over to ruffle his hair as he protested, knowing how much Sawa and Mine hated when she did that, too, since they often had to fix it for him. Kokoa couldn’t help it. Orion’s hair was so tempting, and he was so funny when he pouted afterward. She liked to see it, wishing she could do more to allow him to be just a boy and not a prince. Not a pawn for someone else to use.

“We should go again.”

“Orion, I’m tired. I’d tell you to ask Sawa, but I don’t think she had a chance to rest. Mine was supposed to nap earlier, so maybe you can ask her.”

“I suggest you ask that one in the hat, and if you step on her foot while you do it, I’d consider it a personal favor,” Kent said, and Kokoa almost jumped to realize he’ d come up beside her again. She looked up at him, once again faltering under his gaze. His eyes were too green, too knowing.

“What, Rika?” Orion scrunched up his nose. “Gross.”

“That is why I put forth the idea of stepping on her toes.”

Orion laughed. “I don’t know that I could stand her for long enough to do that, but it’s kind of a funny idea, Kent.”

Kent nodded to him in deference, and Orion’s smile just got bigger. Kokoa swallowed. Was Kent going to ask her to dance again? She didn’t think she could. She’d said she was tired, and she was, but the idea of being so close to Kent again was far more intimidating.

“Were you not the prince and someone who might be open to bribery, I’d even offer compensation.”

Now Kokoa was giggling. She couldn’t help it. She didn’t think Rika would ever like her. Kokoa was born a princess, but Rika’s parents expected her to be one. They’d wanted her to marry Nhil, even if she was obsessed with Ikki. They probably wouldn’t even care if she had an affair with Ikki as long as she was married to Nhil first.

Kokoa really hoped that they didn’t expect her to wait for Orion. That was not happening.

“I thought she was supposed to be Ikki’s favorite. You really hate her that much?”

“She claims that title for herself,” Kent said, shaking his head. “He is not interested in her or most of the others. It is tedious and annoying to deal with them throwing themselves at him constantly. We cannot even have a proper conversation at these awful social functions without an interruption.”

Kokoa thought about that. “You’re never at them, though.”

“I dislike wasting my time, though I do make appearances when required,” Kent said, reaching up for his glasses. “I was not mistaken. The wine _did_ hit them when I was bumped. Very annoying.”

She took them from him, using her handkerchief to wipe them off for him. She held them up and smiled in triumph. “There. All better. Here.”

He didn’t move to take them, still staring at her. She didn’t know what else to do, so she stood on her toes and reached up to put them on his face. His skin felt a bit warm as her fingers brushed up against it. She hoped he wasn’t getting sick.

“Um… thank you,” Kent said, and she thought he looked a bit red, though it was hard to tell in this light. “Though I do not know that it is appropriate for you as a princess to clean my glasses.”

She stuffed her handkerchief back in her bag. “I fail to see why it would be inappropriate.”

“I think wives do that for their husbands all the time, right?” Orion asked, grinning at them. “So it’s fine. Perfect, even.”

Kokoa’s stomach tilted, and she thought she might be sick herself. Of course she was going to be Kent’s wife. She’d agreed to that, but the thought of it was still rather daunting.

“What a beautiful couple you make,” a noblewoman said, bowing to them. “Congratulations to you both. My husband and I wish you blessings and a long marriage filled with happiness.”

Kokoa forced a smile. “Thank you so much.”

The noblewoman nodded, bowing again as she left. Kent snorted into his wine. “Liar.”

Orion laughed as Kokoa stared at him in shock. “Kent.”

“What? That woman’s husband hates me. I denied him a position on the council because he treats his vassals like slaves. That was far from a genuine sentiment.”

Kokoa tried not to wince. “For tonight, Kent, please pretend you don’t know that.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s expected. Because if you make a sour face after every time we’re congratulated, you’ll be the one making us look bad. And because… I’d rather not know how many people are against me doing this. It’s hard enough without that.”

“Neesan,” Orion said, trying to hug her and almost repelled by her skirt. He made a face and tried again, holding onto her. She figured he was saying he was sorry again, but she couldn’t quite tell through all the fabric.

“You did make the best decision you could under the present circumstances,” Kent said. “Those who feel otherwise are reacting from their own ambitions, not a fault in your judgment. If there were any better alternative, I would have provided it to you.”

She nodded. “I know you tried. I shouldn’t have been so stubborn about it.”

“No one should have to be bartered away as though their lives meant nothing,” Kent said. “Whatever their gender, their value lies not in what they can breed or bind but in what they can contribute on their own merit and mind. The laws are archaic. And stupid.”

She knew she shouldn’t, but she found herself laughing again even as she fought tears, and she leaned into Kent so no one would see them. “Thank you for saying that.”

“I am not being untruthful.”

“I know. That’s why I’m thanking you.”

* * *

Kent walked back to his room, tempted to rip the medals off his uniform despite knowing how foolish it was and how little good it would do. They changed nothing, and ruining the fabric was a waste. It would not make him feel any better about anything, not the current situation in the kingdom or how this evening had gone. He had not understood just how difficult it would be to stand there and hear so many offer false words of encouragement and blessing, with nearly the whole assembly present attempting to pretend that they supported Kokoa’s decision when he knew none of the council did and few nobles as well.

The lies irritated him. They were pointless, and he would rather be blunt with his enemies than offer meaningless civility. He did not care for them any more than they liked him, and he preferred a direct confrontation over subterfuge, at least in politics. In war, his tactics had varied by the situation, as some battles could not be won by anything close to a frontal assault, and they could not afford to lose. Waka and Ikki were better at the subtle attacks. Kent favored decisive battles and knew he carried more blood on his hands than either of the other men.

He opened his door, stepping in and shutting it behind him with a grimace. The candles had burned out while he was gone, and he could not see. He had memorized the room’s structure and the position of the furniture, so he could navigate it in the dark easily enough.

He pulled off his tunic and discarded it on the chair as he went to his desk. Sitting down, he was opening the drawer to take out another candle when he felt the presence behind him. The blade touched the skin of his neck a moment later.

“Was this your plan all along?”

Kent had miscalculated. That news had spread quicker than anticipated. “No.”

“Like hell it wasn’t.” The blade pushed against his neck. “Give me one good reason not to kill you right now.”

Kent kept the rest of his body still as his fingertips brushed the dagger he kept under his desk. Once it was in his grasp, he used the blade to ram the handle into the other man’s gut, moving to the side as he did. The knife grazed his skin, the wound stinging as it was exposed to the air.

“That, for one,” Kent said, shifting the dagger in his hand. The other man grunted, and Kent would not be surprised if he fell. He set the blade aside and took out the candle he’d been about to grab earlier. “You are quite foolish, you know. You are not healed and should not have left that bed.”

“And if I were Toma, you would already be dead. He wouldn’t have bothered to hear you out.”

Kent nodded, lighting the candle. “I am aware of that. I sent him north with Waka for a reason.”

“Because you were always planning on stealing her for yourself?”

“Because his impatience and insistence on protecting her at any cost would have gotten him killed,” Kent said, shaking his head. He’d known Toma would not wait for any enemies in the shadows to make their move. He’d wanted to lock Kokoa away for her own safety. Kent needed her as bait. “Besides, your cousin would not allow anyone to ‘steal’ her.”

“Don’t put it off on her. You’re the great master strategist who sees three steps ahead of anyone else, and ten steps ahead of the enemy.”

Kent sighed. “That is a ridiculous exaggeration. Though I still believe you were an obstacle that anyone with ambitions to the throne would have eliminated, if not because of the likelihood she would have asked you or Toma to be regent than because of your own blood ties. All my research shows that despite your connection being through the king’s sister, you and Toma had the strongest claim after Orion. You had to be eliminated for them to get what they want.”

“Which you now conveniently have,” Shin snapped. “You may have surprised me just now, but I could have killed you. And I will if you—”

“If it pleases you any, my so-called ability to plan for anything quite failed me. I did not account at all for her making the choice she did.”

Shin frowned. “She chose you?”

“Very reluctantly, I can assure you. Ikkyu was too divisive a choice, and most other nobles were unsuitable as well. The one who has suggested himself for the role—”

“Not happening.”

“Agreed.” Kent reached up to touch his neck with a grimace. That would likely show and be difficult to explain. “She also chose to set the date close, and it is my belief they will be forced to act before then. Save your strength—and your anger—until they do. I did not go to all the trouble of concealing your survival to have you throw it away here.”

“You better be right about this, Kent.”

“I believe I am, and if I am not, I will be dead, so you will have lost nothing.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kent continues to make plans and deal with the fallout of the announcement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was very hard to follow up the twist, and I angsted about it a bit.
> 
> And then I wasn't sure the scenes I added meshed well with the scene I'd written before, but... I tried.

* * *

 “Didn’t get enough of that at the party?” Shin asked, watching Kent pour himself a drink from the decanter. He took it with him and sat down on the chest at the foot of his bed. Shin eyed him from the desk, not sure what was going on in Kent’s head. He’d never wanted to know in the past, but tonight it was important. Shin had pushed past all the pain and his injuries to confront him, and he wasn’t done. “Kent?”

“I have found at times that alcohol works well as a sleep aid when my mind will not stop. And tonight it is full of far too many things.”

“Isn’t it always?”

Kent laughed, nodding before lifting the glass to his lips. “Yes, indeed.”

“If something happens to her because you get drunk, I’ll still kill you.”

Kent shook his head. “It would take something much stronger and in higher quantities than this to accomplish the first part of that, which negates the risk, therefore your threat is unnecessary. I simply need something to blur the lines enough to make sleep a distant possibility.”

“This would have put me to sleep,” Shin admitted, lifting up the book. “How far back did you go researching the succession?”

“As far as would be likely to have a claim should something happen to Orion.”

“And?”

“I told you… you and Toma have the stronger claims. The others are so distant that either they want the regency or they want civil war. That is foolish, of course. Our northern neighbors will invade us again as soon as it starts, and we will lose, so all their power struggles are for nothing.”

Shin leaned back in the chair. Everything was starting to hurt again, and he’d have a bruise soon enough where Kent hit him. “Since when do you keep a weapon under your desk?”

“Since I joined the council. During the war, it was under my bedroll.”

“You might be more paranoid than Waka.”

“Waka calls it the burden of seeing the larger tapestry. Knowing the events outside the smaller realm of our concern makes it very difficult to be at ease with the ones within it.” Kent finished his glass. “And I am well aware I anger many and currently stand as a threat to their ambitions in more than one way. I estimate my likelihood of being assassinated has tripled since the announcement, but it was always a possibility before.”

Shin grunted. He’d known his own odds weren’t good, not after the king died and no one could find Nhil, but he didn’t care so long as Kokoa and Orion stayed safe. “Why didn’t you arrange anything for yourself, then?”

Kent frowned. “Is that a real question?”

“Whatever. I’m curious, and it’s not like I’m going back to that forgotten hell where you left us.”

“You make it sound like I imprisoned you when I did nothing of the sort. You were free to leave, though it would have been foolish to do so, and your medical needs have been tended to. The room is in an abandoned part of the castle, but it is not uninhabitable, simply overlooked, which was necessary for your continued survival.”

“It smelled, and not just because of Toma. Answer the question. You know you’re at risk, too, so why the charade for me and Toma and not for you?”

“Only Ikkyu will miss me when I am gone.”

Shin didn’t know that he could argue with that. He didn’t know many people who liked Kent. Hell, he’d figured Kent was there to kill him when he set this in motion. “That’s it?”

Kent shook his head. “Of course not. The kingdom’s destabilization would have been far worse if I had died or been injured, and what time I did grant your cousin in delving into the old laws would not have been possible. She would already have been claimed, and there was still some possibility that Waka would find Nhil in the south, so it seemed better to remain where I was and keep things as they were for as long as I could.”

Shin nodded. Kent basically ran the country at the moment, so him becoming regent wouldn’t be that different, but if he’d tricked Shin into this farce of being dead to get more control, Shin would kill him. “You have a plan now, right?”

“It is my belief they will act before the wedding, as I already said. You should not be here. It is far more dangerous by me than elsewhere, and I have allowed certain lapses in security on purpose.”

“You’re supposed to be smart. That sounds like a stupid plan.”

“Yes, but it was quite effective at the battle of Seichi.”

Shin couldn’t deny that. That was one of the turning points of the war, allowed them to go from scrambling a defense to where they could have pursued their enemies back across the border. Everyone said that with Kent and Ikki leading the troops, they could have destroyed their northern enemies once and for all. They’d certainly come close enough to wiping out the entire opposing military, that was for sure. Between those two and Waka—maybe even Toma—they could have done it.

Still, Shin wasn’t the only one who was sick of battle and death by then.

* * *

Orion climbed up onto the bed, knowing he was supposed to be too old for this. His father wouldn’t have liked it much, but Nhil had never minded. Orion didn’t miss his father much. He missed Nhil, missed him more than he knew how to say, but he at least had Kokoa. She made it better, and she never minded if he came in and took over half her bed.

“Orion?”

“I didn’t mean to wake you. I know you’re tired.”

She sighed. “I am, but I can’t sleep, so I’m glad you came.”

He frowned, but she pulled him close to her and held him. “You’re not going to make me your pillow, are you?”

She laughed. “No. I just… it’s… It’s a bit hard right now, with all this going on, so I just want these simple things. I hope I never tire of holding onto you, no matter how big you get.”

“Well, you could always try that with Kent.”

She tensed up, and Orion regretted saying anything. He knew she didn’t want to hear stuff like that. She kept getting scared and worried about the wedding, though he was pretty sure she didn’t have anything to fear. He never would have thought Kent could be so kind or so funny, but he’d been very gentle with Neesan while they danced. She’d smiled and blushed and seemed happy again like she hadn’t been since Shin died.

“I mean, he’s big so you’d be able to practice.”

She ended up laughing again, leaning her head against Orion’s back. “I don’t know about that. Kent doesn’t seem like a man who’d want anyone hugging him.”

“Maybe he just hasn’t had the right person do it.”

“That doesn’t make it me.”

“Why not? You’re the best at giving hugs. Yours are even better than Nhil’s.” Orion sighed. “Neesan… I’m starting to forget what it was like when Nhil was here. Like you don’t remember our mother. I… I don’t want that to happen.”

“You won’t. We can share our memories of Nhil together. We’re not the only ones who remember him, either. It’s not the same as Mother. Father never liked to speak of her, so even though Nhil did remember her, we couldn’t really talk about her.”

“Yeah.”

“I love you, Orion.”

“I know.”

“You could say it back,” she grumbled, reaching up to ruffle his hair. He grimaced, but he knew she was just teasing. Like he was.

“I love you, too, Neesan.”

She sighed in contentment this time, and he smiled as he snuggled in against her. He was going to miss this, though, because she was going to go to the villa for a bit after the wedding. Not only that, but it would be Kent’s place by her when they were married.

“I heard that,” she said. “What’s wrong?”

He grimaced. Had he actually sighed? He shouldn’t have. “Oh… I’m just going to miss you when you go to the villa. That’s it.”

“Not too much,” she said, and he frowned, looking back at her. She smiled. “Kent said we should bring you to the villa when we go. There’s plenty of room.”

He had to smile back at her. That was nice. He wouldn’t have to be separated from her. That was nice. He still couldn’t do this after she was married, but at least he wouldn’t be left behind. “I’m glad.”

“Me, too. I was relieved when Kent said that.”

“He’s a good man, isn’t he?”

She nodded. “He is. Now go to sleep.”

She kissed his forehead, and Orion closed his eyes. Maybe things weren’t perfect, and it would be better if she wasn’t being forced to do this, but he thought she’d picked the right person. Kent would take good care of her. He’d already shown that.

* * *

The door opened, and Kent grimaced, though it was Shin who moved. A loyal, fierce guard, he would never back down from confrontation, which Kent did suspect would be his undoing one of these days. He would die for others, sacrifice for them, and while some found that admirable, Kent saw little more than foolishness.

“Ooh, I’d be intimidated, but you look like death, so spare me,” Ikkyu said as he closed the door behind him. “You couldn’t win on a good day, and this isn’t one of them for you. Though I guess I’m not surprised. I’ve seen how far the news got already.”

“It spread with considerable speed,” Kent agreed. “I take it there were repercussions in the town?”

“Quite a few drunken brawls,” Ikkyu answered, taking Kent’s glass from him. Kent frowned as Ikkyu refilled it. “Though don’t make that face—it seems the people are celebrating.”

“I fail to see why. Many would feel you better suited to this role.”

Ikkyu snorted. “How many times have we discussed why I’m not?”

“You touch her, you die,” Shin said, and Ikkyu laughed, handing Kent back the glass. “I’m not kidding.”

“Relax, Shin. I know no one thinks I have any morals, but I do have at least one code I live by, and that means your cousin is quite safe from the likes of me. I am reconsidering my position on her ladies-in-waiting, though.”

“Ikkyu.”

Ikkyu smirked and filled a second glass for himself. “The people do seem to be relieved. The nobles… not so much. I saw three of the council members leaving together, and though I couldn’t get into the room they’re in without them seeing me—Waka I am not—they’re still in conference now, and that does not look good for you.”

“I knew few of them would accept it with any kind of grace. They despise me as it is, and I suspect at least five of them wanted to take the regency for themselves. One made it known, two did not, and the others as we discussed have wives that are ill.”

Ikkyu nodded, sipping from his glass. “So I figured we were back to the last few months of the war again.”

Shin frowned. “I thought his plan was to avoid war.”

“It is. Ikkyu is being ridiculous.”

“Ken, once they realized how much our strategy relied on you, they were sending assassins after you left and right. I know you took care of plenty of them yourself, but there were still times that if Waka or I hadn’t been there… No, not even going to think about it. It’s not happening.”

“You are not staying. Neither of you is.”

“Shin wouldn’t be able to protect you anyway, but don’t even think I’m letting you use yourself as bait. I still don’t like this idea. I don’t care if she asked. You should have said no.”

Kent took off his glasses. “I admit I considered telling her Shin and Toma were still alive over accepting it, but you can see Shin’s condition for yourself and Waka only reluctantly took Toma with him. It is not important. It is done, and they will have to act within the next few days.”

Ikkyu grimaced. “I know you said end of the week was best, but you should have given yourself more time for a better plan.”

“There is no time. The country is in enough chaos as it is, as the council lacks enough authority without the final say of the monarch. And she chose the date as well.”

“It’s still dangerous.”

“It might not even be enough,” Shin said. “Say we stop them before they kill you. That doesn’t change enough, does it?”

Kent looked down at his glass. He did not want to answer that.

“It doesn’t,” Ikkyu said. “We don’t know for sure how many are after the regency themselves, so stopping one or even two might not help any, and it doesn’t change the underlying problem, either.”

“I do not even know that changing the laws is enough,” Kent admitted. “While it would free her and any future female heirs to rule should another situation like this arise, it may also open up the door to other challengers for the throne, as several were deemed ineligible before due to their connection being through a female member of the royal family, but if one can rule… it may still mean civil war.”

* * *

“I wonder what Kent will think of that,” Mine said, and Sawa reached over to swat her as the other woman giggled. Personally, she thought it was adorable, though it reminded her painfully just how young Orion was that he still sought out comfort like this from Kokoa. He wasn’t ready to rule a country, and he shouldn’t have to. Nhil should never have left and created this mess. “Oh, come on, Sawa. He’s going to be her husband. I don’t think he wants to share a bed with her little brother.”

Sawa shook her head. “How many times is she going to have to tell you that’s not what this marriage is? And why do you care so much about it, anyway?”

Mine frowned. “How come you don’t? Neither of us can get married until she does. Even then, we have to be released from service, so… excuse me for being curious or wanting to enjoy it a little through her. Kent _is_ attractive. Not like Ikki or even Waka, but… he’s good looking.”

Sawa did her best not to think about it. She had, at first, when she was new to her duties. She’d gushed on and on about the dashing men around the castle just like Mine, but after a while, she came to understand what being a lady-in-waiting meant. She’d thought it was more fun and games, pretty dresses and fancy parties. She thought she wanted all that.

Now she knew better, but she wouldn’t abandon Kokoa for the world.

“I remember that most men can’t be trusted.” Sawa had seen that plenty in the politics of the castle, and even the “good” ones didn’t seem that good. “You never know what Waka’s thinking, but he’s scary dangerous. Nhil was sweet, but he’s kind of… flighty. No one knows much of anything about Ukyo. I always felt Toma was hiding something, and it was hard to see past Shin’s gruffness.”

“You didn’t say anything about Ikki. And I know you liked what you saw the first time you saw him. I think you drooled more than I did.”

Sawa flushed, remembering just how much of a fool she’d made of herself last night. “Ikki is very good-looking, but a man who can’t be faithful to one woman is not—he’s not worth knowing.”

“Are you two fighting again?”

“They’re definitely being loud,” Orion muttered. “Too loud. My ears hurt again.”

“Oh, you,” Kokoa teased, ruffling his hair. She sat up and looked out at the balcony. “The sun’s already high. I swear it feels like I just closed my eyes.”

Sawa nodded. “Same here. And we still have a lot to do before the end of the week.”

“Like your wedding dress,” Mine said, eyes shining with excitement.

Kokoa groaned and covered her head with her sheet while Orion laughed.

* * *

“I did not realize you held out so long against the princess’ marriage because you were courting her yourself.”

Kent forced himself not to tense. Such comments were only to be expected, and he had known they would come as soon as their arrangement was common knowledge. Coming from the man it did, it was even less surprising. “That is a more recent development. I simply wished to verify the old laws.”

“I’d heard you were a brilliant strategist, but I’d never seen proof of it until now,” the other man went on, and Kent found himself experiencing a rather rash impulse to hit him. That would not help matters any, even if he would say that Yasuakira was the sort that would only learn after some form of physical violence as he seemed too stupid to do otherwise.

Ikkyu would just say that Yasuakira deserved it.

Kent considered his possible responses and rejected several. “And if you intended to insult me just now, I’m still waiting for an actual attempt with intelligence.”

“Excuse me?”

“The princess makes her own choices and implying she did so under manipulation from me grants me skills at deception I have never been known to have, so in effect, you have actually _complimented_ me. I am not flattered, of course, as your implication is erroneous and distasteful, but if you wish to try again, I must remind you I find such wastes of the council’s valuable time irritating and if the pattern continues, I will have you removed from it, as I have had others.”

Yasuakira sputtered, turning on his heel and walking away, sitting back down in fury.

“He is a fool.”

“I suppose for once we agree,” Kent said, gathering up his papers. “What do you want, Ogata?”

“Oh, I thought I’d offer my congratulations since I missed the opportunity last night. I did mean to, seeing as it was such a charming farce.”

“It is interesting that any of my actions could be considered ‘charming,’ and did I not just have this conversation with Yasuakira? I am not practiced at deception.”

Ogata laughed. “I see. So you and the princess were fighting all this time because you have a strong passion for each other. Amusing. And are you planning on taking over Nhil’s quarters, too?”

“Why would I do that? I have no need of Nhil’s rooms.”

“You’ll be the regent, won’t you? You should be in the rooms of the royals. Or are you planning on spending your married life in separate bedrooms?” Ogata asked with a smile. “I know some couples do. When the marriage is an arrangement, it hardly matters, does it?”

Kent reached up and took off his glasses, needing a task to feel calmer. Cleaning his glasses usually worked for that quite well. “I see. You believe we should insult tradition and behave as if Nhil’s fate is certain when it is not? That hardly seems appropriate. Nhil is not dead, not so far as anyone in this room knows—if they did know differently, surely they would have said so before—and to take his quarters as if he was—I cannot see his sister ever choosing to do that willingly.”

“That’s not even—”

“And while you do seem the perverse type that would prefer some of the old customs involved in consummating royal marriages, I can assure you that is not happening. What happens between my future wife and myself is just that—between us.”

“I suppose you’re aware they’re saying that already happened.”

Kent looked over at Yasuakira, not sure when the man had grown bold enough to rejoin the conversation. His smirk said he was far from finished.

“That the real reason your wedding is at the end of the week? She was seen coming from your rooms late at night.”

Kent put his glasses back on. “It would seem this council has no interest in discussing anything of use. Very well. If you wish to discuss these other matters, then do so during the midday break, and do not bring them up again. I intend for us to have a solution to the matter of the drought in the southern valley by the end of the afternoon session. If you would rather continue this pointless conversation, you need not return.”

* * *

“Do you have a moment?”

Kokoa jerked her head up at the sound of Kent’s voice. Sawa had said she was daydreaming, had been all day, her head in the clouds since last night, but she had thought her lady-in-waiting was exaggerating until now, with Kent standing right in front of her.

How had he gotten that close without her noticing?

And why was she so disappointed to see him back in boring scholarly robes? Not that they looked bad on him, but she kind of wanted to see the uniform again. She shook her head, trying to clear those thoughts from her mind. None of that was important.

“I’m free for the moment. They’ll be back later, I’m sure, since there’s a lot to be done before the actual wedding and somehow the train of my dress keeps getting longer every time they mention it,” Kokoa said, suppressing a shudder. She wore fancy dresses, yes, but the one they wanted her to wear for the wedding was ten times more fine than the one last night, and that had been more than she usually wore as well. That, and she had to have just the right crown and the matching jewel set, and she felt sick at the idea of it.

“That seems unwise, even if there is a certain level of fanfare expected for the occasion,” Kent said. He folded his arms over his chest, looking very uncomfortable. “It would not be wise to have you wear something that would cause you injury, even if the people expect something unrivaled for the princess.”

“Yes, I know, I’m not very graceful. You don’t have to remind me of that fact every time we talk. Or that I don’t have the right posture or that I am not as calm and composed as a princess should be, that I lack the proper etiquette despite all my training.” Kokoa grimaced, not wanting to hear about her many faults again. No one lectured her better than Kent, who was almost always proper and had that perfect military bearing. He never seemed to falter, even though he claimed he wasn’t good at social occasions. He was still better than her, since she got flustered by simple compliments and still tripped over her dresses after all these years.

“That was not why I came.”

“Oh.” Kokoa was kind of used to him mentioning something critical whenever they spoke, so she was a little surprised he didn’t have anything to say now. “I thought you might have something to say about last night after the dance.”

“Your graciousness accepting the congratulations was fine, much better than mine, as my patience was gone after the first one.” Kent shook his head. “I believe we must discuss logistics.”

She grimaced. “Kent—”

“No one wants the ceremony delayed for long, which is why this conversation should happen sooner rather than later. It was pointed out to me at the council session today that I would be expected to move my residence within the castle. Specifically, they believe that you and I will be occupying Nhil’s chambers following the wedding.”

“What?” Kokoa shook her head. “I am not taking over his rooms. That’s absurd. We don’t—I know we can’t keep the kingdom waiting for him to return, but we don’t know that he’s dead. I can’t just… No. And if I did, Orion would be heartbroken because he does believe Nhil’s coming back. So, no. That’s not happening. My rooms are fine for me.”

Kent drew in a breath and let it out. “Yes. For you. However, not for me, and we will be expected to share a residence. That is expected of all married couples.”

That was true of even political marriages, she knew that, since most of them were for the sake of an alliance and that got sealed by heirs which meant children which meant sex which—oh, she knew her face was on fire now. She should have thought of this before. How the hell was she going to share a room with Kent?

“I insist on having a lab space and you can be assured I would spend most of my time there, so we need simply arrange for one that adjoins the rooms we ‘share’ and that will be enough, though it is hardly the only logistic we need to discuss.”

She nodded, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Kent was right—if he had a lab, no one would think anything of him spending all his time there, and that was fine. She wouldn’t have to worry about… the other stuff. Theirs was not an alliance that depended on having an heir, so they didn’t actually have to do that. That was fine. She didn’t want to. She didn’t want to be just a warm body for someone, and others who wanted to be the regent wouldn’t be satisfied without that, but Kent was a good man and wouldn’t press it.

She glanced at him again, suddenly curious about what it might be like to be touched by Kent like a lover. A kiss, an embrace… that dance had been surprisingly nice, and he was… sturdy. She hadn’t realized there was muscle under that scholar’s robe, either.

“One of the council members congratulated me on ‘a charming farce’ today.”

“What?”

“Some already convinced that this marriage is not… legitimate. That it is simply an arrangement meant to keep other powers from gaining control of Orion.”

She winced, putting a hand to her head. It was, and they both knew that, but if others believed that, they’d either disrupt the wedding—or worse, they’d hurt Kent. Maybe kill him. “Any marriage I was a part of would be political. That’s a given.”

“Agreed, and yet… the suspicion about this would undermine it and the authority given by it. If we cannot counter that, it may well be futile to take this step we’ve agreed upon.”

Kokoa’s mouth went dry, and she forced herself to swallow. “Then… No, we can’t call it off. That would be worse. If we don’t do this, then—but if they want something more than… I don’t… what do we do?”

Kent reached for her hand, and she stared at him as he lifted it up, jerking it away just when he might have kissed it. “That is exactly what we should _not_ do. You can’t always look at me like I repulse you, even if you dislike me. You must be comfortable with the token gestures expected of us as a couple when we are in public.”

That was so practical, so it was easy for Kent to say, but the idea of him kissing her hand… She took a breath and calmed herself. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to you touching me at all. Last night was the first time that we… well… I did slap you once, but that’s not the same as touching you. So… you believe we should practice that. Touching.”

Kent now looked as uncomfortable as she felt. “Yes.”

She nodded, though her stomach was doing somersaults like a court jester might, and she felt sure she’d be sick. “Then we will. I… I will sit in on the council meeting this afternoon.”

“What?”

“Well, if we walk in and I’m holding your arm, that’s practice, and then I can sit by you and hold the hand that you are not using to take notes, and that’s even more practice. Right?”

Kent looked like he might have a fit. “Um… yes. It… practice. Yes.”

“Let us begin now,” she said, holding out her hand to him. He eyed it like somehow it would bite him, and she sighed. “You know, I’m not the only one acting repulsed. You’re worse than I was. I was startled. You had warning, and you still won’t take my hand when this was your idea.”

He looked away. “Your enthusiasm surprised me. It… It’s nothing. Give me your hand.”

She did, feeling nervous again as she rose. He waited, and she shifted her hand, wrapping her arm in his. This wasn’t like walking with Nhil, but that didn’t mean that she hated it. She was small compared to Kent, but that somehow made her feel very safe.

She promised herself silently that it would stay that way. She wouldn’t make any mistakes, and she wouldn’t give them any reason to think they could do him harm. She would be the perfect wife and protect him just as he was protecting her and Orion.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get complicated when Kokoa sits in on the council meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of those times when the story decided to go its own direction and I kind of accepted it, though not at first. I did consider rewriting it and was afraid it was terrible, but that is very likely my negative brain talking and no real reflection on the story or what happened. I just... am my own worst critic and have a bad habit of hating everything I write.

* * *

Kokoa felt the eyes on her as soon as Kent stepped into the council room. Because she was with him, someone had opened the door for them, and he seemed a bit awkward about that, but that wasn’t anything to the looks she was getting now. She willed herself not to react. She was the princess, plenty of people watched her, and it often wasn’t for a good reason.

This was a test she and Kent had to pass for the sake of the country, and she wouldn’t fail it.

Kent pulled a chair out for her, and she sat down, smiling at him in gratitude as much as she wanted to do that herself. Fighting over it would not be good, and it _was_ thoughtful of him.

“...hiding behind the princess...”

She lifted her head, trying to figure out which council member had spoken. “Excuse me?”

One of the more annoying ones, Yasuakira, shook his head. “It was nothing of concern, my princess.”

Kent’s expression was cold, and she thought he was actually quite scary when he did that. He started to arrange his papers, about to call the meeting to order, but Kokoa put her hand on his arm, and he stopped, frowning at her.

“If it were truly nothing, you would not mind repeating it loud enough for all of us to hear,” she said, and Yasuakira frowned. “It can’t be that bad, can it?”

Another one of the council members smirked, enjoying Yasuakira’s discomfort. “Yes, do tell her what you said.”

“As if I was the only one to think it.”

Kent was mad now. “I thought I said these comments were to be made during the midday break. We have work to do, and if you cannot do it—”

“You’re the one that brought his fiancée to the meeting.”

“The princess has sat in on several council meetings in the past, as is her right as princess and the current head of the government,” Kent said. “This is no different.”

She shook her head. “It is, a bit, since I do have more reasons than before to be here.”

He frowned at her, and she smiled back at him, wrapping her arm around his again and letting her head rest against his shoulder as she might have done Nhil were he still here. Kent wasn’t her brother, and he did seem rather tense, unlike Nhil, who’d been restless.

“And I would still like to hear what you said,” Kokoa said, since she had heard enough to know to they’d been insulting Kent. Were they always like this when she wasn’t here? Or was it just because of their engagement? She hoped Kent didn’t have to deal with them being like that all the time. Did they ever do anything, or was it all him? Maybe there shouldn’t even be a council.

“He said Kent was hiding behind the princess.”

She frowned. “I don’t see how that’s possible. I mean, I could probably disappear behind Kent, especially if he wore a cloak, but even if I had a big skirt on my dress, I don’t think he could. Am I wrong, Kent?”

He seemed to be fighting laughter even as he nodded. “Yes, technically, that is… quite correct.”

“I suppose we could test it, after all. You like experiments. It could even be the first one in the new lab space you want next to our quarters.”

“I do not believe that testing is necessary.” Kent said. He looked around the table until she passed him the pen that had gotten knocked off into her lap. “Thank you, Kokoa. Now I would very much like to discuss the drought in the southern valley. Does anyone have anything useful to contribute?”

“It’s a bad location, and those settlers should never have stayed there. They can move into the city if they’re so worried about it.”

“That’s their home,” Kokoa said, “and no one should force them into a city if they don’t want to be there. It’s only the past couple years that have been bad with rainfall, right?”

“The last four,” Kent said, and she grimaced, trying to think of a way to fix this. She couldn’t change the weather, but maybe there was something.

“They knew it could be like that if the rains didn’t come. You can’t tell a fool anything, though.”

“No, that is true,” Kent agreed, and she bit back a giggle, knowing he was talking about Ogata. “Still, they are citizens of the kingdom, and we do depend on their crops as well. Their agriculture is about more than feeding themselves.”

Kokoa frowned. “Oh. Kent, do you remember when Nhil and Ukyo took that trip a few years ago? He came back saying it was a whole other world, and Ukyo had all those paintings of the fields that had those canals by them, ones people dug for the crops.”

“Irrigation canals. Yes, I remember, but the nearest water source is...” Kent reached for the map and frowned at it. “It might be possible to divert it, here, though it would require more research… the towns below this point would get less water from the river, and it may make things more difficult for them as well, but maybe...”

Kent set his book to the side and started scribbling out something on the parchment, and she looked over as he did, not understanding any of the numbers even as he spoke of river currents and average volume. He did it all so fast his pen could barely keep up with him, running out of ink more than once to his annoyance.

“Kent? What’s wrong?”

“I doubt a small enough diversion that would minimize the impact on the other towns would be enough.” He rubbed the back of his neck like it hurt. “It would almost require a second river given the number of crops.”

“See? It’s foolish. They should just move.”

Kent shook his head, looking at his calculations again. Kokoa pulled the map out from under his arm, and he frowned at her. “Kokoa, there are too many towns depending on that river for water and—”

“You said a second river, right?” She put the map back in front of him. “What about this one? If we diverted some from here _and_ there, would it be enough?”

“An unusual solution, though perhaps not impossible.”

She grinned, glad she’d been able to help. “You think it will really work?”

“I need to do more calculations and get some more information, but… in theory it does.”

She was so happy to have found a solution she hugged him. As soon as she did, he tensed up, and she almost let go, but they were supposed to be practicing, weren’t they? So she held on instead. This wasn’t like dancing with him, they’d been closer than before but not _this_ close, and she had a foolish urge to see just what his robes smelled like even though that was probably weird and gross.

“Um… Kokoa...”

“Hmm?”

“I do not think I can finish my work if you keep doing that.”

She flushed, letting go. “Oh. Right. Sorry. I was just so happy.”

He’d listened to her this time, and he’d accepted her ideas, and it was so nice not just to have one that worked for a change but to have one that _Kent_ thought was a good idea, that was special. She took his free hand instead, wrapping her fingers in his.

Kent looked down at their hands.

“What else do we need to work on today?”

“I think perhaps we should simply leave you two to it,” Yasuakira said, disgusted, and Ogata nodded with him, not the only noble to rise.

She tried not to wince. Had she ruined things so much? She thought she was helping. She looked to Kent. He watched them with coldness, and she wondered how mad he was.

“As you have contributed nothing of use, you may as well go,” Kent said, dismissing them and returning to his calculations. She watched for a bit as the others left, not sure what to think.

After the door closed behind the last one, she swallowed and asked her question. “Um… Kent...”

“What?”

“Did… Did I do something wrong?”

He looked up with a frown. “Why would you say that?”

“They all left. They never did that before.”

He smiled slightly. “It is more common than you think, but I honestly do not mind it. I get more work done this way.”

“What? Without any help?”

“There are few here who genuinely care about the needs of the kingdom. They are after their own interests and do not bother learning the situations of others. They lack sympathy, though it is their complete disregard for the overall well-being of the kingdom that is the most obnoxious. The southern valley is not just a bunch of independent farmers. We all use what they grow.”

“I know.” She sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder again. “You shouldn’t have to deal with that. All those people who won’t help and don’t do their jobs… That’s not right. You’ve got all their work and now...”

“Little will change. Your father was not particularly interested in the council’s decisions and would only give them a brief ear before making his choice on any of them. Nhil was little better when he was present, and since there is no current monarch… most of my decisions have been allowed to stand.”

“It’s still wrong. This is not a job for one person alone.”

“Hmm. Perhaps not. Your help today was invaluable.”

She smiled again, giving him another hug. He tensed up again, and she shook her head. He had to stop doing that.

“We are alone. That… that is not necessary.”

She made sure no one could hear her before she spoke, hoping they hadn’t heard him. Just because the nobles were gone didn’t mean the servants were. “It’s practice. We agreed.”

“We did, but I can’t work like this.”

She sighed. That was true. She was blocking him from his work. “Is there anything I can do to help? You said you needed more research, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but we cannot send you out to measure what I need. I’ve already started composing letters with instructions so that we can get the information we need. It will still take time, and it may be too late for this year, but perhaps next year...”

“You’re a good man,” she said, wondering why she was now tempted to touch his face.

He shook his head. “I am not.”

She took his hand again, and he flinched, but he kept on working. “I think you are. I’m sorry I never tried to see it before.”

He looked up again. “I… That is unnecessary. You need not force feelings that are not there even if we are entering into that contract.”

“I’m not,” she said, letting go of his hand and standing up. She couldn’t be near him now. How dare he think she was trying to make herself love him because she was marrying him? She wasn’t doing that. She didn’t feel anything for him. “That was… I am… You’re still very annoying, you know that? I was just… You do think of the whole country. That makes you a good person.”

He took off his glasses and pinched his nose. “Kokoa—”

“And I shouldn’t even have to say the other part because you should _know._ You can’t force feelings. You can’t make someone feel something they don’t or be something they won’t… It’s… I’m not doing that. I wouldn’t. And you wouldn’t, either.”

She shook her head. He wasn’t going to listen to her anyway. “I think since you don’t want anyone’s help anyway… I’ll just go back to planning the wedding.”

“Very well.”

She balled her fist, hating herself for feeling like she might actually cry. She didn’t want to do that, not over Kent, but she was so frustrated now. It had seemed to be going well, and yet… he just dismissed her like it was nothing, like none of it mattered, and to accuse her of that…

She had to get out of here. Now.

* * *

Ikki opened the door to the council room and shook his head when he saw Ken sitting there surrounded by books and notes. He hadn’t even looked up, and that was not a good thing, not when he knew he was a target. He’d made himself one, so he should be more aware than this.

And he doubted Ken had eaten anything today, either. He was so damned worried about Shin and Toma getting themselves killed, but he didn’t even seem to notice how badly he was treating himself. Ikki crossed over to the Ken’s spot at the head of the table.

“I see you quit early today.”

Ken snorted. “The council did. I did not.”

“Yeah, you know, there’s not a lot of point to having a council if they never do any of the work,” Ikki said, leaning against the table. “You know that, right?”

Ken took off his glasses. “I tried having them all removed and replaced, as I think you’d be of more use here, but the king wouldn’t allow it. The council is for nobles. The only way you get on it if you’re not one is by a false reputation forged in blood.”

“Ken—”

“We won the war by numbers. We had more men, so we won. That’s not strategy. It’s…” Ken shook his head. “I am not a good man. Or a good strategist. I just knew when we could afford to take losses and when we couldn’t. If the losses were acceptable, then the plan went forward. That is… It’s nothing to praise or honor.”

Ikki shook his head. “This war wouldn’t have ended with our surrender and you know it. They were only beaten back because we were able to kill enough of them. And this isn’t like you. I know you’ve never liked getting praise for your work in the war, but this is more than that.”

“They were… more obnoxious than usual.”

“I’d say that was impossible, but you got engaged last night, so… yeah, I guess they would be, wouldn’t they?” Ikki didn’t know what they said to Ken, but it didn’t matter. It would have been inappropriate at best. “Anyone I need to arrange an accident for?”

“Not amusing, Ikkyu.”

“It would only maim them.”

Ken snorted. “That is not… Damn it.”

Ikki didn’t smile, much as he wished he could. “It was a poor joke, but you look bad. Did you sleep at all after I left?”

Ken nodded. “A little. Apparently some people decided it was time to celebrate in the morning and were quite loud about it, but until then I did rest.”

“So it’s not that. And I know you actually prefer working alone, so you might not mind this, but it isn’t like you to let them get away with it. Their comments that bad?”

Ken leaned back in his chair. “They did remind me of a few things I had overlooked which did need to be addressed.”

“That’s not all they did.”

“No, but it was important to address the issue of future quarters. And… other matters. I spoke to Kokoa about them. We… came to an agreement there, too.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“It was fine.”

Ikki knew Ken was not fine. “So then you came back to them making snide remarks and sent them on their way.”

“No, we came back, she had a solution to the drought I had considered but not in enough detail, and then the council decided she and I could settle the matter and left.”

“And you let them?”

“Why are you asking me so many questions?”

“Because you never tell me directly what’s bothering you when it comes to emotional things—it took me weeks get you to admit the truth about your parents’ death—but I know you, and I know something’s wrong. I know it’s not just the threat to the kingdom or you using yourself as bait. You know better than to give them any ground, but you gave them plenty, so what is wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t make me get you drunk. You hate when I do.”

“No, I hate when you drink and get… cuddly. I do not generally remember what happens when I get drunk because by the time I reach that point, it is not long before I pass out and therefore have little chance of embarrassing myself.”

Ikki grimaced. Why the hell did Ken make this so damned hard? “You are allowed to have feelings. And if I have to resort to extremes to get you to admit to them, I will. You know I will.”

“If by extreme, you mean—”

“I do.”

Ken grimaced. “Very well. It was agreed we should… adjust to the token gestures of physical contact such as are necessary in public.”

“Oh, I have a bad feeling about this.” Ikki said. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything. I held her hand, briefly, and that was it. She initiated all the other contact, from walking back arm in arm to taking my hand when we sat down and then… when I told her that her idea would work, she… embraced me.”

“She did what?”

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

“She hugged you?”

“Ikkyu—”

“She did.”

“Yes, she did. And she didn’t seem willing to let go until I reminded her I had work. Then they left and she did it again. I told her that we were alone and such things were unnecessary, but she still took my hand after she stopped and… It is a disgusting farce. They are right about that much.”

Ikki grimaced. “This is why I told you to say no, Ken. You can’t. You love her. You want her to touch you, and that’s why it bothers you. It is going to be like torture for you in this marriage. You can’t do it.”

“The wedding is very unlikely to happen.”

“That does not make this better.”

Ken closed his eyes. “It is fine. It is only until the end of the week, and even if she is mad at me now, that is… not unusual. I simply need to finish this. There is little chance the crops can be saved this year, but if at all possible, we should try.”

“Ken—”

“If you are so hell bent on helping me, finish this,” Ken snapped, getting to his feet and leaving the papers behind. He didn’t even stop when he bumped into the door, and Ikki winced, hoping Ken would at least stop to put his glasses back on.

He looked down at the papers. It looked like Ken was almost done with these. He’d seal them and send them off with a couple of his soldiers who could get Ken the information he needed, but even so, Ikki didn’t know if that was enough.

He had to find something, some way to fix this.

* * *

Orion looked up as his sister came back into the room. He’d missed her when he came back from his meal, and Mine had pouted since it looked like she’d be avoiding the wedding dress like she had the other one. Sawa said to leave it be since she was probably out mourning, but when Orion looked, she wasn’t at the memorial.

“Neesan?”

She looked over at him, trying to force a smile. “Oh. Orion. I… Do you have more sweets?”

“Just one after midday like cook always gives me,” Orion said, though she didn’t believe him and he supposed she was right not to, since it was his third. “Are you crying?”

“No,” she said, but she went to her bed and laid down on it like she wanted to. She looked a bit like those paintings of the old tales, the ones where the princesses were always sobbing about their poor lots in life, and he knew Neesan didn’t like those stories very much, but there were times when everyone wanted to cry.

“Did you have trouble on your way to the memorial?”

“No. I… Oh. I didn’t even go there today.” She grimaced, reaching for her pillow, and Orion grabbed it before she could bury her head under it or hit herself with it. “Hey.”

“You don’t have to do that. Shin and Toma wouldn’t want that from you. You miss them, and it’s right to miss them, but mourning twice a day and being mad at yourself if you’re late or forget… that’s not. You shouldn’t punish yourself.”

“It’s not that. It’s why I forgot. Ugh.” She hit the bed. “Why did I think it would be any different? He’s impossible.”

Orion didn’t think this was good. “You had another fight with Kent?”

She sighed. “It’s worse because I thought we were getting along, that we agreed, and he even liked my suggestion on how to fix the southern drought, but then he was… himself, and it ended so badly he made me so mad… Why can’t he give even just a _little?_ I tried. I did. And he… he wouldn’t even accept a compliment.”

Orion didn’t understand. Kent had seemed different last night. He’d been nice and even funny. He listened when Neesan told him not to grumble about each person complimenting them even if he was right and Orion could tell few of them meant it.

“The idea that he would think that I would try to _force_ myself to feel something for him. He is so impossible. I would never do that. I just… I said what I did feel because it’s true. He is a good man. It’s not anything more than that. He’s so determined to see to the needs of the country. It’s admirable, but he is trying to deny it, and it makes me so mad...”

Orion frowned. That didn’t make much sense to him, but then… “Neesan, have you ever actually complimented him before?”

“What?”

“What was the last nice thing you said to him before now? And I don’t mean being polite and thank yous and stuff. What was the last nice thing you said to him? Did you ever say, ‘oh, you’re so smart’ or ‘that’s a good idea’ or ‘you look so handsome in your uniform I can’t take my eyes off you’ or maybe even—”

“Orion! I would never say that to Kent.”

He gave her a look. “You don’t think maybe that’s part of the problem?”

“It’s not that kind of marriage.”

“No, but if you’ve never said nice things to him before, he’s not going to want to hear them now because he thinks you don’t mean them,” Orion said, frowning. Neesan was always so nice to him, so they rarely disagreed, but he knew she fought often with Kent. “Have you tried apologizing to him?”

“What?”

“Well… aren’t you both kind of at fault? You may not have done anything wrong in complimenting him, but since he doesn’t know you well enough to know you mean it, he’s upset. And you’re upset because he got mad, but maybe if you both talked about _why_ you’re mad, it would be different.”

She shook her head. “All we do when we get mad is make each other more angry.”

“Because neither of you ever apologizes. Maybe if you did… it might make things better. It’s worth trying, isn’t it? Do you really want to marry him at the end of the week while you’re still fighting? That’s not good.”

She sighed. “I just want to be alone for a while, Orion.”

“Fine, but think about what I said. I’ll even talk to Kent if—”

“No.”

Orion shook his head. Someone might have to, though they did have to learn to do this for themselves, too. If they couldn’t get along, they were both going to be miserable, and that wasn’t right. His sister deserved to be happy, and Kent was a good man, too. He should be happy, and seeing them last night, Orion did think they could be together, but they were both so stubborn.

He took another bite of his pastry as he left. Maybe the cook had some ideas.

* * *

Kent leaned against the library shelf, shaking his head again as he failed to find what he was looking for anywhere. The book should be here, it belonged here, and yet for some reason, it was absent. He did not know that anyone else would have removed it, seeing as few would be interested in its contents and even fewer of them would understand it.

The southern valley was only one place that needed help. Others needed much more, and he still needed to address those issues. They would not disappear by having a regent appointed or Nhil’s return, which Kent did want to believe would happen, even if the odds were against it.

Nhil might not have been the most responsible prince in the kingdom’s history, but he was at least sensitive to the needs of the people and willing to do what it took to see to them. He’d fought his father to get Kent appointed to the council, and the king even grudgingly admitted to Kent that he felt that act made Nhil seem like a true heir, one ready to take on the responsibilities of a kingdom.

Orion was still too young for that, and even when he came of age, he might not be ready.

Though that could simply be Kent’s desire not to be the regent talking. He understood the position, the work it would mean, and he could not think of others he felt would do as good a job—Waka and Ikkyu were among them, perhaps Shin, though he seemed to be even less diplomatic than Kent was. Toma had shown some tendencies in the war that had even Waka concerned, so it was best if he did not get the position, even if by rights it might be his.

Kent shook his head. He had never run from responsibility before, and he would not now, but it was difficult to contemplate the situation when he considered it as years of marriage and training Orion to rule. A few days of a pretense, yes, that he could manage, but years? He did not believe he would last months, possibly not even weeks.

Damn it, why had she had to touch him?

They’d agreed on holding hands and walking arm in arm, not _that._ Not such excessive and prolonged contact that he couldn’t seem to forget.

He needed to be thinking about his work, not remembering how that felt or the slight scent of roses or anything, actually, to do with her.

He could not afford to be distracted.

“Setting the wedding at the end of the week was a good plan. Forces our hand, doesn’t it? We have to make a move quickly.”

Kent looked over at the man who’d spoken, cursing himself for allowing his thoughts to put him in such a vulnerable position. The noble stood between him and the door, and he was armed, his blade already in hand. Kent was not carrying a weapon, though he knew he should have been.

“Yes,” Kent agreed, seeing no point in denying that. “I knew that you would have to do something to stop the wedding, though this seems foolish.”

“You’re alone. Unarmed. You’ll die quickly, and by the time anyone realizes you have, I’ll be gone. You spent far too many long hours in this room. No one will even notice you’re missing until tomorrow, I’d bet.”

That was fair, Kent could believe that might be true. Still, he did not intend to die here. “You stab me and leave? That’s your plan?”

“Do I really need a better one?”

“Yes,” Kent said, though he knew defending himself would not be easy and he would likely end up injured, “you do.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kent faces his attacker, and things get a bit more complicated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew what I wanted the last line to be, and it ended up being that, more or less, but it was not so simple to get it there. It was difficult to try and do action and the other stuff seemed a bit against the tone though in all fairness, no one else knew Kent was in trouble, at least not right away, so... I think it's okay...

* * *

“You believe everything needs some kind of elaborate plan. That’s your undoing. You don’t act when action is needed.”

Kent did tend to leave the actual action to others, preferring his intellectual pursuits and experiments to being directly involved in any implementation of his plans. He could trust Ikkyu or one of the others to handle that, and it was not necessary to do that himself.

“If you were so determined to marry her, you should have done it months ago. Now that Shin and Toma are gone, it’s a simple thing to be rid of you.”

Kent smiled at that. He did want people to believe that and underestimate not only the support that Kokoa had in thinking Shin and Toma were actually dead, but he also knew that most of them were convinced that he had only been a strategist in the war. He was not expected to be a fighter despite how many men he’d killed. “Not as simple as you think.”

The noble snorted, taking a step closer to Kent, raising his blade. Kent blocked the attack with a book, using his elbow to strike Enishi in the nose. Enishi stumbled back, cursing, and Kent shook his head as he replaced the book.

He took out another, this one hollowed out to conceal a small knife. He might have been unarmed, but he was also a planner, and he knew that situations like this might arise.

“You will pay for that.”

Kent shook his head. “That is a tedious statement, you know. It’s not like it’s at all intimidating. I am not afraid of you, and you look ridiculous like that.”

Enishi snarled and rushed at Kent, waving his weapon with no true skill or training. Kent could recognize that much. Like most nobles, he’d played at war but never actually fought. Kent had, and it was simple enough to evade most of the careless slashes. One caught his arm, but he ignored it. The wound was minor at best.

“Hah,” Enishi said in triumph. “Now I have you.”

Kent shook his head. “You’re bleeding more than I am from that blow to your nose. Stop being ridiculous. You lack training, and while I am not as practiced as I was during the war, I can still dodge your attacks. You will become fatigued and have to give up. I do not even have to fight you to win, though I already have.”

“You think you are so smart.”

“Even if you could win, if you stab me and manage not to be seen leaving, do you think no one will question your face? You cannot win this, and the princess will never marry you.”

“You know that even if I stop now I can never walk as a free man again,” Enishi said, swiping at Kent again. Kent stepped back, shaking his head again. “I’m not that much of a fool. It’s not like you’d let me go. Why would you ever allow that?”

“I didn’t say I would.”

“Exactly.” Enishi smiled like a madman. “I knew if I came here today I had to kill you. There was no stopping, no half-measures. You have to die, or I will never be free.”

Kent could not deny that. Still, he didn’t want to kill Enishi. The war was over, and Kent was done with that way of life. “You don’t have to die.”

“But you do.”

* * *

“There you are,” Ikki said, and Sawa stopped, frowning. He didn’t mean her, did he? No, of course not. She was busy, and she had no time to get stupid about one of his dalliances. She ignored him and started walking again. She had to speak to the gardeners about the flowers. Though Kokoa went without it most of the time, tradition held that the rose princess wasn’t supposed to walk anywhere without rose petals before her. If she didn’t do that for the wedding, it would be seen as a bad sign by the people, and they’d all be in trouble.

She had to get enough roses for the carriage ride _and_ the ceremony, and that was only the ones for the procession. She didn’t know that they had enough for that and the decorations, which had to be roses as well. Other flowers could be mixed in, but tradition held that she needed a rose bouquet and roses through the chapel, too.

“Hey,” Ikki said, catching her by the arm. “I called out to you. Why’d you run from me?”

“I wasn’t running.”

“You were.”

“I was walking fast. I have a lot to do before the wedding,” Sawa said, and he grimaced. She pulled her arm free, trying not to notice how warm his touch was. She could still feel it, and she had a feeling she was red, too, though she’d done nothing wrong. “What do you want? If it’s about the other night, I told you to forget all of that. I shouldn’t have said any of it. I was very tired. I still am, and I have to deal with the roses and there are not enough of them so go away.”

“Well, I’d suggest that you help me stop the wedding and then you wouldn’t have to worry about any roses—”

“What? Are you insane? She can’t do that. They can’t do that.”

He shook his head. “You think I don’t know that?”

“You just said—”

“And you interrupted me,” he said. “I would have finished with, ‘but we both know that can’t happen.’”

“Oh.”

“I do need your help, though.”

Sawa grimaced. “I don’t see why. You’re the head of the army, and what have I to do with that? And don’t say you’re here to seduce me. I do not have time for that kind of foolishness.”

“I want to know who started that rumor. I’m going to kill them, I swear. Well, I’d have a hard time doing it if it was a woman, but damn it, that is ruining my life,” Ikki grumbled. He shook his head. “That’s not why I came to you. You know Kokoa pretty well, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Sawa wasn’t sure why he was asking, and a part of her wasn’t sure she wanted to know. “If you’re planning on trying to seduce her away from Kent—”

“What did I just say?”

“Um...”

“There is no way I would do that. I do think the princess is pretty, won’t lie about that, but I knew a few weeks into Ken being head of the council that she was off limits. Leaving aside the whole class issue and her being royalty, when your best friend is in love with a woman, you don’t go courting her yourself.”

Sawa swallowed. “Kent’s in love with her?”

Ikki nodded. “Yes. Has been for a while now, not that he’d ever say so. His parents were a love match, odd as that might seem to some people, but they had some funny ideas about it all the same, and he grew up with them… He doesn’t actually believe in love, just in standard biological responses.”

“I don’t understand, but I don’t think I want you to explain that.”

Ikki smiled a little. “It’s not that bad. It’s just that Ken figured that… marriage wasn’t really necessary unless he wanted to reproduce, and since he’s not interested in having children right now, it’s not something he needs to think about. That, and losing his parents… that hit him harder than he expected and he hasn’t wanted to get close to anyone since.”

“I… Why are you telling me all this?”

“Because your friend talked him into marrying her—and she has good reasons, I won’t deny that—but he was so far in denial he didn’t consider what it would be like for him trying to be a couple. She had no idea how much she’s hurting him, and he’ll never tell her.”

Sawa frowned. “I don’t… what do you expect me to do?”

“Do you think Orion is right? I saw a few things the other night that said maybe she’s just as bad as Ken is with the denial, but at the same time, I don’t know for sure. She can fake politeness, she’s a royal, and she knows how to cover her feelings. She can pretend. We all do it at court. We fake smiles and act like we don’t hate half the people we meet. I’m not close enough to her to know if she’s genuine about him or not.”

Sawa wasn’t sure herself. There were times when she would say that Kokoa’s reaction wasn’t that of a princess frustrated with the head of the council. She took some of the stuff Kent said or did very personally, and she seemed to want to show him more than anyone that he was wrong. She did seem to want to impress him sometimes, too.

“Then she does hate him?”

“No. I don’t think… I don’t know. There are times when I think Orion is right. He did have her smiling, and she will jump to his defense if someone says something bad about him.” Sawa shook her head. “I don’t—why are you pushing to know now? Can’t you just… let it take its course? They might see more in time.”

“If it were possible, I’d give it time,” Ikki said, and Sawa did think he would. He seemed to be genuinely worried about Kent, a much better friend than she’d thought he was. “Only Ken doesn’t have it. He put his life at risk by accepting this, and he can’t afford the distraction. He has to be on guard, so if she… She can’t do the touching thing like she was.”

“Touching?”

Ikki nodded. “She hugged him. It really unsettled him.”

Sawa blinked. “She… hugged him?”

“It’s not _that_ impossible. Ken said she did, and he wouldn’t lie about that. He was upset.”

Sawa nodded. “I know. I’ve just… I was trying to remember if I’d ever seen her hug Shin or Toma, and I don’t know that she did. Court formality and all that… I think she’s only ever hugged Orion and Nhil, so it was a bit strange to hear. Still, maybe that’s a good thing?”

“I don’t know. I know he can’t stand it when he thinks it’s false, so… she either has to stop or to mean it—”

“She wouldn’t embrace someone if she didn’t mean it.”

“Fine. How do you suggest we get them to admit their feelings, then?”

“What?”

Ikki shook his head. “Don’t be like that. We need to—was that a scream?”

* * *

Kokoa forced herself up off her bed. She’d been here for too long as it was. She knew better than this. She wasn’t weak. She wasn’t going to lie about in bed crying over any man, even if this one was going to be her husband. She’d been stronger than that when her childhood friends died, and Kent didn’t get that from her.

He wouldn’t even want it, and that just made what she’d done worse.

Maybe she’d have gotten up sooner if she hadn’t had that conversation with Orion. She had just wanted to be mad, maybe curse Kent a few times and throw a few things, but then Orion said what he did, and she’d ended up lying there miserable instead.

She didn’t want to apologize, which was childish of her, but she hadn’t felt like she was in the wrong—Kent was—and she shouldn’t have to apologize. She’d been giving him a compliment, hadn’t she? Why was that so wrong? She hadn’t said anything untrue, and Orion didn’t understand. Kent saying she was trying to force feelings for him…

That stung in ways Kokoa still couldn’t understand. That he thought she’d lie about liking him was bad enough—she hadn’t lied, she didn’t like him, and they knew what their marriage was—but to have him think she could _make_ herself feel something like that… No. If she could, she would not have been so reluctant to marry anyone, whether it was some far off prince or noble or even… She hadn’t loved Shin or Toma like that, but she could have asked them, could have saved them, if she’d only felt more.

She loved them enough to not wish that kind of marriage on them, so she’d tried to find some other way, and she’d gotten them killed. And Kent thought she could just make up feelings for him?

She couldn’t.

She had feelings. It hurt that he’d think that about her, but it wasn’t true.

She shook her head. Enough of that now. She was done with wallowing in feeling. She had given it more time than she should have, but she was a princess. She had a duty, and she would see it through. She left her rooms, knowing she had to work on the wedding even if she was still a bit furious with the groom.

She didn’t know where Sawa was, and she wasn’t seeking out Mine because she didn’t want to think about the wedding dress, but there were other things she could do. In fact, there were some things that only she could do.

She knew of at least one decision that she wanted to make herself, so that was where she would start. She’d already asked Kent about it, and she’d accepted his answer then, but now she had reconsidered, and she needed to be sure.

Kokoa stopped to adjust her skirt, not sure why this one kept getting caught on her. As she did, she noticed someone ahead of her stop, too, and heard something behind her. She frowned and looked around, seeing a man she thought might be a soldier despite his clothes up ahead of her. Oh. That must be one of the guards Kent had sent after she complained about the others. She rarely saw them, and they didn’t come near her bedroom, so she could almost forget they were there.

She liked that, since she felt almost free and yet she was safe.

She had to grimace, though, because Kent had done that for her, and she hadn’t even thanked him for it. She’d gotten annoyed with him instead—he _had_ almost left her behind when they were walking despite telling her he would escort her, and she was irritated to need an escort in the first place.

Still, the change in the guards was nice, and she should thank him.

She wasn’t sure she could do what Orion suggested and apologize, but she did need to talk to Kent. She was going to do that as soon as she’d taken another look at the carriage. Though Kent had said he doubted they’d attack her on the way to the wedding, she didn’t want to risk it, and Orion would be with her, and they might still go after him if not her, so she wanted to see if there was some way of making it safer somehow. An open carriage was tradition, but a closed one would be safer.

Or maybe they could do something decorative and wedding like that would close it up some? She knew that some weddings—simple, wonderful sounding ones like she’d once dreamed of having before she grew up and understood just how much of her life was determined by ceremonies long established and expected of a princess—they didn’t marry in an ancient chapel with a bunch of gargoyles looking down at them but out in the open, in the sunlight and fresh air under nothing but a simple flower arch. Wouldn’t that be lovely? Maybe the carriage could have flower arches. It wouldn’t necessarily stop an arrow, but it might help, right?

She heard someone scream, and suddenly everyone in the halls was running. The guard that had been in front of her came back to join the one who was behind her. She looked at them and started up the hall towards the screaming.

“My princess—”

“You’re with me, I’m not in danger, and I want to know what’s happening,” she said, though if she was honest about it, she _was_ scared. The last time something like this happened, it was Shin dying. She didn’t want to think it was something like that again.

She went around the corner, swallowing when she realized how close she was to the library. That didn’t—it couldn’t—it wasn’t Kent. That… No. She hadn’t had a chance to talk to him. She couldn’t—Kent wasn’t dead. He was fine.

“There’s blood.”

The maid who’d spoken wasn’t wrong. Someone was definitely bleeding. Kokoa swallowed, still not sure what she was seeing. Was that Enishi? What happened to his face? She knew that few people liked Enishi, but she didn’t think anyone would kill him. He might have been the only one who’d actually said he wanted to be regent, but that still didn’t explain this.

“He tried to kill me.”

She looked over at the doorway to see who Enishi was accusing and couldn’t believe what she saw. Kent was standing there, and he did seem to have a knife and it had blood on it, but Kent… he wouldn’t do that, would he?

* * *

Ikki had to admire Sawa’s athleticism if nothing else, since she almost kept pace with him as he ran through the hall, not stopping for anyone who’d chosen to cower instead of going to see what happened. He reached the edge of the gathered crowd, not liking how many had already gathered.

“Move,” Ikki ordered, pushing his way through the other side of the crowd. “I said _move.”_

Ikki’s command made them part quickly, and he walked through, Sawa pressing past two of his soldiers and darting over to Kokoa’s side as soon as she saw her. Ikki didn’t have time to worry about that. Enishi was on the floor, nose busted and blood all over the hand on his side.

“Arrest him. He tried to kill me.”

“You have to be joking,” Ken said from the library doorway. He did have a knife in hand, and Ikki would bet he’d used it, but he knew Ken. He could have killed Enishi easily without breaking his nose, and that wound on his side wasn’t in a mortal location. Ken had spared the bastard, though Ikki wasn’t sure why. “It would gain me nothing to kill you.”

“You wanted the princess for yourself. You know I’m in your way.”

“In what possible sense could you mean? The princess chose me, and even as obnoxious as you are on the council, I could simply have had you replaced. There is no reason for me to kill you at all. You, however, had plenty of reasons to want me dead. It was, after all, your intention to kill me.”

“I’m the one that’s bleeding.”

“Do you wish to gain sympathy, is that it? That wound is minor and not near any vital organs. You will live, though you will regret it.”

“You won’t.”

Ikki shook his head. This had gone on for long enough already. He waved a hand, gesturing for the soldiers to come to his side. “Get over here and take him into custody. He can see a doctor in his cell.”

“You’re bleeding,” Kokoa said, pushing past Sawa’s attempt to hold her back in safety, going to Ken’s side, pulling on his sleeve and exposing the cut.

Kent frowned at her, shaking his head. “This is a nuisance at best.”

“Don’t say that. You can’t… Shin said not to worry, but I never saw him again. He died. I… I am not losing you, too.”

Enishi started laughing. Ikki grimaced. “Get him out of here already.”

“I told you no great plan was needed. You’ll see. You’ll see,” Enishi said as they dragged him away. He started laughing again. Ikki balled a fist, deciding he’d pay that man a private visit later.

“The rest of you can go back to your duties,” Ikki said, and though some of them hesitated, most started to move. He saw Kokoa’s guards did not, but that was fine. They should stick close to her. He turned back to Ken. “That better just be a nuisance like you said. Is that the only one?”

Ken nodded. “He was like many nobles… all style and no substance. He did not know how to use his blade. I did.”

Kokoa winced. “Kent...”

“I am...” Ken stopped before finishing the reassurance he was about to give her, dropping the knife and grabbing hold of the doorway. “He came… prepared to kill. Was planning on having me die. Figured I would not be found for hours.”

“Ken, you’re scaring the princess. You can leave the details for later.”

“No, Ikkyu, he was certain I would die.”

“That’s just his madness talking, isn’t it?” Sawa asked, looking from Ken to Ikki, and he didn’t want to disappoint her, didn’t want to say it, but he had a bad feeling about what Ken was saying with those words. “He knew he’d been caught, so he was trying to scare Kent, since his attempt to look like the victim wasn’t working. Kent’s barely wounded, isn’t he?”

“The wound is minor,” Ken said, but he did seem paler than he’d been a minute ago, and the way he gripped the doorway was not a good sign. “That much is true. However… it would seem that he tipped the blade.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the attack on Kent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got a bit stuck trying to find a real historical remedy to talk about, and my mother told me I need a book on poisons for writers, lol. It might just be necessary. Not that she knows what story I was asking her about, but still...
> 
> Still, this works without that, I think.

* * *

 “Tipped the blade?”

“Poisoned it,” Ikki said, pushing Kokoa out of the way so he could catch Ken before he fell. He propped him up with his left side and reached into the pouch on his belt with his free hand. Taking out a small leaf, he held it up to Ken’s face. “Eat this. It will counteract most of them.”

“By… inducing… vomiting. Didn’t… eat anything...”

“That would be the other one,” Ikki said. “Don’t fight me on this now. You don’t have time for that. Where is the blade he used?”

“Here,” Sawa said, picking it up as Kokoa shuddered. “This… that’s not blood, is it?”

The blade had turned a bit purple where Enishi had applied the poison. Damn. That was the probably the worst of any it could have been. No wonder Ken was already feeling it. Ikki turned to the nearest guard. “Go to the apothecary, get all the—”

“Color,” Ken asked, though if he couldn’t tell that was _not_ a good sign. It wasn’t that far away, and Ken’s glasses hadn’t fallen off, either. Ikki didn’t like this. If Ken couldn’t see, the poison was working too fast, and they didn’t have time for the apothecary.

“Purple.”

“Third… section…”

Kokoa was starting to fret, twisting her hands together and looking desperate for something she could do. Ikki couldn’t give anything to her even as she continued to be near panic. “We need to get him to a bed and—”

“Fourth shelf… from… top… fifth book… from left...”

“What?” Sawa asked, frowning. Ikki didn’t answer her right away, needing to get them out of the doorway. He dragged Ken over to the nearest chair, setting him down on it. This one was almost long enough to lay him down, but it was a little too soon for that.

Ikki turned back to see Kokoa carrying a book in her hands, which shook as she held it out to him. “I… He said… I think… well… he could have meant those directions in the opposite order, but… did he mean… this?”

Ikki took it and opened it, never more grateful for Ken’s need to plan for nearly everything than right now. He dumped the small vial out of the hollow section and into his hand. This was just what they needed, and trust Ken to have some within easy reach. Throwing the book aside, he took it to Ken. He pried the stopper loose and held it up so Ken could drink it.

“You are… the most paranoid person I know, but damn, I am so glad you are.” Ikki said, and Ken grimaced, swallowing down the remedy. Not pleasant, not by any means, but it was better than dying. “No. Drink it all. I’ll get more later and replace it. You stay still. You know that’s not an instant cure.”

“No… such… thing.”

Kokoa was still trembling despite Sawa’s efforts to calm her. “You… you knew they’d poison you? You… What did I do… asking you to… I…”

“Knowing Ken, he’s had that there since he took over as head of the council,” Ikki said, and she stared at him, still on the verge of tears. He didn’t want her doing that or blaming herself even though Ken was in danger in part because he’d agreed to be the regent. It was far from the only reason people would attack him, though.

“That’s… why would...”

“They were trying to assassinate him on a daily basis for the last part of the war, and Ken usually has a plan in place for most things,” Ikki said. He leaned back against the chair, looking over at his friend. “I hate when you do this, though. You take years off my life.”

“You… would function… fine… if something did happen to me.”

“Don’t start that again. You’re the only family I’ve got left, and you don’t get to die on me,” Ikki said. He grimaced, knowing his reaction wasn’t doing anything to keep the women calm. He was worried. He couldn’t lie about that. Ken wasn’t safe yet, wouldn’t be, even if they now had one less threat to worry about. “We’ll get you moved in a few minutes.”

Ken nodded, looking pretty weak as he closed his eyes.

* * *

“If I’m a prince, why is it no one ever wants to listen to what I have to say?” Orion asked, and the cook looked over at him with one of her warm smiles. He knew that one, and it was the kind of one that Neesan sometimes got before she said he was adorable and ruffled his hair. He didn’t mind being adorable, but he didn’t want that to be all he was. “I mean it. No one seems to want to hear what I have to say.”

“You’re young yet,” she told him, and he grimaced. “And your sister has a mind of her own, more’s the pity.”

“What?”

The cook just patted him on the head, and Orion grimaced. No amount of sweets was worth that. He didn’t want to be told to ignore it or wait until he was older. They couldn’t do that. Neesan was supposed to get married in a few days, but if she didn’t stop fighting with Kent, then it wouldn’t just be her sad and mad and frustrated. The whole country might end up that way, and they’d all been so excited when Orion announced the engagement.

He hopped down from the counter, grabbing another pastry on his way out, heading towards the council chambers. He saw his guards moving and grimaced. He’d thought they left while he was in the kitchen, but they’d been outside the entire time. He hated being watched like that, though it wasn’t even that bad for him like it was for Neesan. He’d heard some of the stuff her guards said about her before, and it made him mad.

Made Nhil even madder, and he’d had them replaced, but others did it, too, even more so after Nhil was gone.

Orion stopped, leaning against the wall. Why had his brother gone? And why hadn’t he come back yet? He had to know that it was important and that their father was dead, right? Did that mean that Nhil was dead, too?

Orion didn’t want to believe that. He missed his brother. Nothing was the same without Nhil.

He took a breath and started moving again. Kent wasn’t the same, not by any means, since Nhil was about laughter and fun and trying to make everyone happy, but Kent _would_ be Orion’s brother once he married Neesan, and Orion figured he’d better try talking to him anyway. Neesan didn’t seem like she was going to apologize, so someone had to explain to Kent that she wasn’t really like that.

Orion was going around the corner when a bunch of people started rushing past him. His guards moved up to block them from getting close to him. He frowned. What was this?

“Report,” one of his guards called out to another man, who stopped and faced them. “Now.”

“There was an incident. The scholar was injured but subdued his attacker. The knight had the attacker sent to the dungeon, but the castle is still in a panic.”

“The rose?”

“With the scholar and the knight in the library.”

“Good. We’ll proceed there.”

Orion frowned, not sure what they were talking about, but then his guard turned to him. “We should go, your highness. Your sister will want to see you.”

“She’s in her room, and I wanted to talk to Kent.”

“Then come.”

* * *

“Sit,” Sawa ordered, sitting Kokoa down in one of the other chairs. She was still a little shaky herself, but Kokoa was almost as pale as Kent was, and he’d been poisoned. Ikki didn’t seem much better, either, and he hadn’t moved since he gave Kent the antidote or whatever that had been inside that book.

It better be an antidote. Sawa didn’t know what they’d do if Kent died. Kokoa struggled enough with Shin and Toma being gone. Another loss would devastate her, and if Orion was right—Sawa didn’t want to think about that. Kokoa didn’t need to lose anyone else, and the country couldn’t, either. Kent was far too important for that. He was head of the council, and without him, it would be civil war, even if Kokoa found someone else she could marry, and Sawa didn’t think she could, not now. Ikki might be the only one left, and maybe he’d feel differently about doing it if Kent were dead, but that didn’t make it right.

“Ikki,” Kokoa said, forcing herself to swallow and looking like she might cry. “That… Kent… he’ll be… he won’t die, will he?”

Ikki gave Kent another glance. “Well, Ken’s strong, and he should be able to fight it off. It… It’s not an instant cure, like I said. He will still need to rest and recover, and he’s almost guaranteed to spike a fever fighting it off, but… Ken’s stubborn as hell, so...”

Kokoa nodded, though she didn’t look comforted. She moved over to Kent’s side, and Ikki watched her, frowning. Sawa knew she was, too, but she was curious, too, to see what Kokoa was about to do.

“He’s so… quiet. So… still...” Kokoa reached out, stopped herself, and then extended her hand again, touching Kent’s face. “He can get quiet when he’s working, and it’s like he doesn’t see or hear anything but his work. Still, he has this… presence. You’re aware of him even when he’s not of you… and it’s commanding and intimidating and… this is so not like him...”

Ikki managed a slight smile. “Well, unless you’ve seen him drunk. Not much about that is intimidating. And he can sleep like the dead if he lets himself, but he usually doesn’t. I suppose you’ve never seen him with his guard down, though. He hasn’t been like that since the war.”

Kokoa bit her lip. “Was he very different then? He said his parents were a love match and then was all embarrassed about it… he even looked wistful, and Kent… isn’t wistful.”

“His parents were… interesting people,” Ikki said, smiling more than before. “And yes, he did find their displays of affection embarrassing. You’d think they were doing something far more indiscreet than kissing the way he reacted. But… no, if you’re asking if there was some great change in him, no. Ken’s always been reserved and more interested in books than people. What changed were the smaller things. Well… he sleeps less. He plans more. Plays less, that’s true. He used to make these puzzles for me when I was still a student, complicated math things with obscure science concepts mixed in sometimes, too, and they were so frustrating but so satisfying, too, to get one done and right… He hasn’t made one of them since the war started. Never thought I’d miss that so much, but… I think they might remind him a bit too much of his father. I think he used to make them for Ken when he was a boy, and after his father died… People think Ken’s odd and strange, but when his parents were alive, they were, too, so he wasn’t alone. And they were… they understood him better than he understood himself…”

Sawa sat down, listening to Ikki talk and trying to understand. They all knew so little of Kent, and now hearing Ikki talk and how worried he was about Kent, Sawa thought maybe she was wrong about him. He couldn’t be as terrible as she’d thought if he cared so much about his friend.

“You sound like you miss them, too.”

Ikki tensed. “Oh. Do I? I… That’s… they were special people.”

“Special to you as well as Kent?”

Ikki looked away. “I am so not drunk enough for this.”

“You tell them… all my secrets… should… admit… your own...”

Ikki grimaced, turning back to Kent, who hadn’t opened his eyes but still seemed to manage a warning look in his condition. “You heard all that?”

“Not… certain… did hear… enough...” Kent sounded tired, and Sawa didn’t think he should be awake right now. “Ikkyu… claimed… my parents...”

“What?”

Ikki winced. “Well, my parents weren’t really interested in seeing me become a scholar. Oh, my father’s very proud of me now with the head of the army, hero of the war, the great knight who won every battle, but before? They as much as threw me out. Ken’s parents accepted me for what I was, even encouraged me to learn more.”

“That’s nice,” Kokoa said. “It… I think it would have been… so much better to have a parent that valued education. All my father ever wanted for me was to behave properly. Walk dainty, blush often, don’t say a word, don’t have an opinion...”

“Absurd… waste… of… your… mind… and… your passion...” Kent said. “You… have so much… of that...and should… have been taught… so much more… Not that… blushing is… is not… a terrible look… on you… but… to squander… a mind… like yours...”

She stared at him. “I… I’m not that smart...”

“No, you’re not,” Kent said, and Sawa flinched, knowing Kokoa would have slapped him for that if he wasn’t half-dead from poison. “Yet… unique… perspective… if… very emotional.”

“Oh.” Kokoa swallowed. “Um… I… Oh. You… You’re already warm. Are you always this warm? Or are you already feverish?”

Kent shifted his position. “Not warm… cold...”

Ikki muttered something as he rose. “You need to rest. So you sleep. We’ll be quiet. Just sleep, Ken. No keeping yourself awake for any reason. You need to rest and fight the fever.”

“Cold.”

“And we’ll get you into your bed and under your blankets so you feel nice and warm. In the meantime, you just… Oh. That really wasn’t what I had in mind, Princess.”

Kokoa didn’t move, keeping her arms wrapped around Kent. “If he’s cold, this should help, shouldn’t it? And we need to get something for the fever and—Orion. Where’s Orion? If they went after Kent—”

“I’ll find him,” Sawa said. “He’s almost certainly in the kitchen.”

“No, I’ll go,” Ikki told her, and he was the one that was intimidating this time. She almost felt that order. She didn’t know that she wanted to try and argue with him. “You three need to stay safe.”

Sawa bit her lip. She didn’t think Ikki would listen to her, but she did have to try. “Ikki, if someone else comes after Kent while he’s… while he’s sick, then he can’t defend himself or Kokoa, and I’m not much use there, either.”

“You have two sets of guards outside this room,” Ikki said. “Yours and Kokoa’s. You and Ken will be safe while I do what needs to be done. We need to move Ken, too.”

“You can’t do both quickly enough. Kent needs help and we have to find Orion—”

“Look, I know it’s not easy to accept, especially right now, but Ken went over it so many times it’s almost a sure thing… they’re after the regency. The waters of succession are too muddy for anything else. So Orion should be safe. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but try and stay calm. Orion has his own guards, he’s not alone, and I will find him. I need the kitchen to make me some tea for Ken anyway. It’s fine.”

“Then I can go with you,” Sawa heard herself say, and everyone looked at her. She wasn’t even sure why that idea was better, only that she’d blurted it out and couldn’t take it back.

“Isn’t Kent’s room kind of… small?”

Ikki stopped. “What does that have to do with—”

“I want to take care of him,” Kokoa said. “So… um… I think we should have him in the queen’s former quarters. I… He mentioned picking somewhere to share for… um… after the wedding, and since there’s that extra room attached to them that was for the nursery, that would be good for the laboratory space he wanted and an office—it needs work, of course, but… then… we could see to that while he recovers, so… there. Please.”

Ikki nodded. “That… well… I’ll see if it’s possible.”

“I’ll help,” Sawa said. She could do that part, and Kokoa and Kent had the guards, so it was fine. She’d rather do something useful.

Ikki looked like he was about to protest. “I don’t—”

“Commander?”

Ikki turned to face the doorway. “What is it?”

“The prince would like to enter. Is that acceptable?”

“You can’t stop me from seeing my sister,” Orion said, trying to push past him. The guard held him back even as he tried to go forward. “Kokoa! Let me go! This is—I’m the prince, right? So let me go already.”

“Let him go. She wants him here,” Ikki said, and Orion glared at the guard before running over to Kokoa. He stopped when he saw her holding Kent.

“I… they… some of the people in the halls said someone had been stabbed, but… it was Kent?”

Kokoa nodded. “It wasn’t that bad of a wound, but he’s not feeling well right now, and he needs to rest, so sit here next to me and be as quiet as you can. Please.”

Orion swallowed, his fear showing on his young face. “I...”

“He should live.” Ikki shook his head at his own words. “No, he _will_ live. I won’t accept anything else. You stay here with your sister while I get things ready to move him.”

* * *

Ikki started down the hall, knowing that he had a lot to do before he could rest easily, though knowing Ken, most of what he needed was already in his room. That helped, but it might not be enough. Ken was strong, but he’d been working too much and not sleeping, and that poison was nothing to mess around with. Enishi was lucky he hadn’t killed himself with it.

Well, not really. Ikki would make the bastard pay for going after Ken. No one hurt his family.

They could hurt his father, if he was even still alive, but not Ken. Ken was the family Ikki chose, his brother, and he wasn’t losing him to this, not any of it.

“This is not the way to the kitchen or to the queen’s quarters.”

Ikki grimaced. “That’s not happening. You have to talk her out of it.”

“What?”

Ikki stopped, turning back to face Sawa. “You have to talk her out of this idea. For one, her nursing Ken is probably not a wise idea right now, but for another—no. Ken has stuff in his room like he does in the library, so if something happens, we have it, but this other room isn’t one he used or made any kinds of plans for, so no. It’s not happening.”

Sawa put a hand to her head. “I can see why you wouldn’t want to do it for that reason, but isn’t this… I mean, you saw her, didn’t you? She was very upset over what happened to Kent, and she wants to take care of him. She even held him when he said he was cold. Isn’t this—her caring for him—better? Like what you wanted before when you were asking me to help you find a way for them to admit how they really felt about each other?”

Ikki did want that, but he didn’t want to risk Ken’s life over it, either. “Ken needs to be in his space. It’s better for him. Safer. This… it might not be the end of it, and he needs every advantage he can get, especially now that he’s wounded and fighting off a fever. It...”

She moved her hand to his arm. “You are scared, aren’t you?”

Ikki supposed he was way too damned obvious about that right now. “A bit, yes, but we can control the situation and keep Ken safe. It just won’t be where the princess wants.”

“Then I will tell her the queen’s quarters aren’t in any state to be used. I doubt anyone’s done much more than a light cleaning, if any, in there since she died, and that’s not good for someone who’s sick. Kokoa will accept that. We can work on that rearranging she wants when she’s at the villa with Kent, and that’s good because there’s no time for it before the wedding.”

Ikki nodded. He knew that. They’d put one hell of a limit on this thing, but it had worked, some, since Enishi got stupid and went directly after Ken. “Go back to Kokoa and Orion.”

“What?”

“I have a lot to do, and you shouldn’t be off on your own. I don’t want anyone else getting hurt or… being used against Kokoa.”

Sawa stared at him. “What are you talking about? Just now you said it was safe with the guards, and I’m with you. I’m not the princess. Everyone’s worried about Orion or who might be regent. Not me. They might go after her, but me?”

Ikki grimaced. “No. They would pick you.”

“That’s not—”

“She’d resist a direct threat to her life, even die for Orion. And anyone hoping to get the regency wouldn’t harm Orion or threaten him—they’d know that would never work, but for one of her friends… it might be enough.”

Sawa paled. “That’s not… why would you...”

“You’re loyal to her. You’d die for her same as I’d die for Ken. It’s not hard to see, and these bastards aren’t above exploiting that.”

“They didn’t go after you to get to Kent.”

“No, but then he’d never give into them. It wouldn’t be logical, and Ken… he can make those hard calls. He did it in the war, still hates himself for it, but he never backed down from making the ones that had to be made no matter how many lives it would end up costing. So, no, it wouldn’t make any sense to try and use me against him—him against me, maybe—but not the other way. And for Kokoa… she’s got too big a heart, and they’d try and use that against her.”

Sawa shuddered. “Is… She would know… it wouldn’t save me. She’d have to know that.”

“Could you make that choice if it were you?”

She winced. “No. I couldn’t.”

“So assume she wouldn’t, either. That means you could be in danger, too, maybe even Mine though I don’t think she’s as close to Kokoa as you are. It… Please go back to her. I will take care of what Ken needs. Just trust me on that.”

She looked upset, and he hated himself for scaring her, for making her cry. She was a good friend, and she was much better than most of these women at court. He didn’t want to hurt her. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, but this whole situation was dangerous, and she hadn’t even seen that she was caught up in it, too.

“Ikki—”

“Ken has… so many plans, and we have one less enemy now. Still, it is dangerous, so you need to be careful. Please go back to the others so you’ll be safe.”

“And you?”

“I’ll be fine. I’m more worried about Ken.”

She nodded. “We all are.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kokoa feels guilty, again, and Ikki's attempt to get things ready for Kent goes very wrong...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit part of why this chapter took a bit to get done was that I had a bit of mental back and forth over the choice I was making with the Ikki plot. It made sense, and yet it... I wasn't sure it was the right way to go even if it did make sense. So I didn't know if I should write it, and it took a bit to get past the scene with Shin and Ikki, but I did write it as it did feel like a way the story was going a bit naturally, even if it wasn't what I'd originally planned on. So... yes, bit of a disclaimer there.

* * *

Kent shivered again in Kokoa’s arms, and she grimaced, hoping that Ikki would be back soon with whatever it was he was getting from the kitchen. She wanted to bring Kent’s fever down as quickly as possible. She didn’t want him to suffer—or worse, to die, and she felt so helpless now even as she held him. She wasn’t an apothecary. She hadn’t been at the war, didn’t know much of anything about healing.

Her father had wanted her to know court etiquette and how to appear pretty at all times, not how to do anything useful. She had always wanted more, but there were few times she got it, and fewer people who thought she was capable of it.

Was it really so strange that Kent was one of them? He’d always been so annoyed with her ideas, but what he’d said earlier… about it being a waste of her mind… Had he always thought that? She’d assumed he thought she was an idiot. He’d never praised her before and was always berating her for her emotional responses and how illogical she was, but… he thought she was smart?

“Neesan?”

She sighed. “I’m sorry, Orion. Did you say something?”

“No. I just… you looked pretty worried, and Kent hasn’t said anything since Ikki and Sawa left, and so I… I guess I was… I was worried, too.”

She shifted her position, hoping she could make it better for Kent. She didn’t think the wound on his arm would bother him too much—she’d gotten a good look at it after Ikki left, and it wasn’t that bad at all from what she could see. She’d probed it a little, and it didn’t seem deep, more of a graze and scrape, so his skin was irritated, but there wasn’t much of a cut. If Enishi hadn’t tipped the blade, Kent would have been fine. It was the nuisance he said it was.

“I… I wasn’t ready to talk to Kent yet. I was still mad and planning on avoiding him,” she admitted, feeling sick as she did. “And then this… he could have died, and I wouldn’t have...”

Orion came over and hugged her. “You can tell him now. I know he’s asleep and all, but you still have a chance, and maybe he won’t hear you, but isn’t it easier to say things a second time if you’ve said them once? It might be what you need.”

She looked at him, frowning. “When did you get so smart?”

He smiled. “I’ve always been smart. It’s just that not everyone listens to me. Including you.”

She sighed. “I did think about what you said. I was just too mad at Kent to go and apologize when I didn’t do anything wrong. He did. He’s the one who can’t take a damned compliment. And yet… I… this is my fault. If I hadn’t asked him to—”

“Kent knew what could happen if he said yes. He wouldn’t have said yes if he didn’t think it was worth it, and you’re not helping by assuming he didn’t.”

She frowned again. “Orion—”

“Prince,” he reminded her. “I may be the second son, but I’m still being taught how to run a country if I have to, and that won’t stop just because you’re getting married. Actually, since you’re marrying Kent… I kind of expect I’ll have even more lessons because… he’s a teacher, not just a soldier or the head of the council.”

She nodded. Orion was right about that. Kent still walked around in scholar robes like he might have worn at university and would lecture anyone if he got half a chance. She looked down at him. Would he teach her more, too, if he lived to see the wedding?

“You could try it. Just say you’re sorry.”

“Orion, stop it.”

“You’re worried about him, and you don’t want him to die without hearing it, so say it. Don’t waste this chance.”

She sighed. Why was this so hard? Orion wasn’t wrong, but somehow the words still wouldn’t come. She could have lost Kent today, and she still couldn’t say two simple words. _I’m sorry._ How hard was that?

Impossible, somehow, for her. She held onto him and hoped, somehow, desperately, that he’d understand by her actions instead.

* * *

“What the hell is going on out there?”

“Nice to see you, too, Shin.”

Shin shook his head. He wasn’t in the mood for this. He still hurt, and he could hear the chaos in the castle. This wasn’t like the idiots getting drunk and excited over Kokoa’s engagement. This was panic, and it wasn’t good. Shin was stuck here in this room, since he couldn’t leave with all those people rushing about, and he couldn’t _do_ anything. He hated this. Yes, he knew he still had healing to do, but he needed to be doing something.

“What happened?”

“Enishi went after Ken.”

“How stupid is he?”

“Pretty damned stupid. Ken didn’t have to do much to fight him off,” Ikki said, going to the bed and starting to straight it up.

“There some kind of reason you’re doing a maid’s job?”

“Because Enishi’s also a coward and chose to make sure he got what he wanted by tipping his blade.”

Shin tensed. He supposed that fit with what he knew of that bastard. Still, if Ikki was here and not some drunken mess, Kent was alive, wasn’t he? “How bad is it?”

“Well, from what I saw, the wound was more of a scratch than anything, so I doubt Ken was exposed to much of it, and since it’s Ken and he was in the library when it happened, he had an antidote nearby, so he should live.”

“He had an antidote nearby? Just like that?”

“Did you miss our conversation about assassins in the war? Ken stashes his remedies. I carry a few of the basics with me at all times.”

“It’s a little convenient.”

“Ken is paranoid. I have never denied that, but then he happens to be the most hated man in the country at the moment, and he was that before taking his position on the council. He plans ahead for a lot of things, just like you already know. You are alive because Ken’s a planner. And paranoid.”

Shin knew that. “He’s lucky. He could have died. What kind of plan does he have for that? Because whatever it is, it’s bad.”

Ikki grimaced. “Well, this is one case where I’m not sure Ken is thinking it all through—I kind of know he isn’t, but then he’s not good with emotional stuff—so he doesn’t have the best plan this time, but so far he did manage to get one more of them out into the open, and the others don’t have a lot of time left if they want to stop things before the wedding.”

“He’s going to end up stopped before the wedding.”

“No.”

“You can’t just will it to stop. Since when does Kent have a death wish, anyway?”

Ikki stopped. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out. “You know, I don’t need this right now. I don’t know if Ken’s plan is lousy or not, and maybe it is, and maybe he did throw away his will to live when he agreed to marry Kokoa, but I don’t care about that. I care about the fact that my best friend almost died a few minutes ago. And yeah, I know things are dangerous right now so we’re all on our guard, but you got damned lucky because Ken made sure you didn’t lose your life. Or your brother. I almost lost mine today, and I don’t want to hear it, damn it. I don’t want to know how dumb you think his plan is or anything else. I just want to finish getting things ready to move Ken in here so he can finish recovering because I refuse to let him die, so you can shut up, or I can break your jaw because right about now, I’m ready for a fight.”

Shin would have been, too, if it was him, and even though he understood where Ikki was coming from, it pissed him off a little. “Was Enishi working alone?”

Ikki grimaced. “I think so. He’s arrogant and stupid, though it wouldn’t surprise me if someone else goaded him into making the move. Anyone on the council could have, since Enishi was the only one who actually said he wanted the regency. Can’t rule out outside interference, either. Ken said it’s still possible our enemies are trying to encourage civil war.”

Shin nodded. He could see that. “So now what? Kent’s not in any state to oppose them. He might not even make it to the wedding. You have some kind of plan if he stays sick longer than the end of the week?”

 _Or dies?_ Shin added silently but didn’t ask.

“Since you asked, I’m leaning towards telling everyone you’re alive and making you deal with it.”

Shin glared at him. “You better have a better plan than that.”

* * *

Sawa stopped in the middle of the hallway, aware that the guards had as well. She had been about to go back to the library, but then she remembered something and turned to go find Ikki instead. Even if it was hard to tell time when someone was waiting, it hadn’t been that long since she left with Ikki. They’d spoken and parted ways rather quickly, and while Kokoa was distraught, she wasn’t stupid. She would never believe that Sawa had been to the queen’s rooms and back already, and if she did, she wouldn’t think Sawa tried at all to get the room ready like she’d asked.

No, she couldn’t go back yet, and besides, if Ikki was busy readying Kent’s room, then he’d need help with other things, like whatever he’d intended to get from the kitchens.

She made her way to the section of the castle where Kent and other non-nobles were allowed to live. She knew Ikki had a room near here, and others, too, though she didn’t know everyone who did. She only knew which room was Kent’s because Kokoa had gone there a few times to yell at him for something he’d done at a council meeting.

She pushed the door open and stepped inside. “Ikki, I thought I’d offer to get what you wanted from the kitchen. I know a few standard fever recipes, so I could have asked for them, but I don’t know what Enishi used on Kent, so—”

Her words became a scream, but before it got out, someone covered her mouth and the door slammed shut behind her.

“You really need to find somewhere else to be besides Kent’s room.”

“It wasn’t an issue before,” Shin said, and she trembled, staring at him over Ikki’s hand as she shook against the door. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be. Shin was dead. “And you should have locked the door.”

“I was in a hurry, and you’re not even supposed to be here.”

“Kent’s plan of using himself as bait is going to get him killed. I can’t move around freely right now, but like hell I was going to walk away after knowing that was what he chose.” Shin shook his head, looking at her. “He’s an idiot, by the way. They both are.”

She pushed Ikki’s hand off her mouth. “How… why… you’re...”

“Kent knew they’d try and kill Shin, so he arranged for word to get out that Shin died after he was attacked and badly wounded by those assassins,” Ikki said. “Truthfully, he shouldn’t even be up and about now, but Shin’s a stubborn idiot who is overprotective as hell. Though, if I’m not mistaken, he did come here himself to kill Ken after finding out about the engagement.”

Sawa stared at him. “You… no...”

“Look, if he tricked me into faking my death so he could get her, I couldn’t let that go.”

Sawa shook her head. “No… It… Orion and I pushed… told her to make a choice… and she picked Kent… she asked him. I was surprised he said yes.”

Shin frowned. “Why? He knows this country better than anyone, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, but they fight a lot, and even if Orion thought that was because she likes him and can’t admit it… I figured she’d insult him, he’d get angry, and we’d have to try and beg Ikki to do it.”

Shin glared at Ikki. Ikki shook his head. “For the hundredth time, no. I’m not interested in the princess. I won’t lie and claim I don’t know she’s pretty because I do, damn it, but that is not what matters. I’d be a bad choice because of the damned rumors, and we all know it, but the hell if I’d cross that line and betray my best friend.”

Sawa had heard that before, and after seeing Ikki tend to Kent today, she could almost believe it. “I don’t understand, though. It’s… how can either of you stand there and act like this is nothing? Shin is alive. We were all upset, we were, but Kokoa was heartbroken. She spends hours mourning. How could you do this to her?”

“She had to believe it or no one else would,” Ikki said, touching Sawa’s arm gently. “I know. I’m sorry. It wasn’t like it was simple or easy to lie to everyone, and even Ken’s been struggling with it, but he felt the only way to keep her and the country safe was to cover up Shin and Toma’s survival. If something does happen to Kokoa and Orion, they have the next best claim to the throne, but even so… anyone she’s close to can be used against her. We talked about that earlier.”

“I know,” Sawa whispered. She still felt sick. “I don’t...”

“As it is, Shin should be able to be a bit of a secret weapon if we need him to be, since no one knows he’s alive, but it will be dangerous, and of course, you can’t say anything about what you know.”

Sawa choked. “Uh… I can’t.”

“You have to,” Shin said. “I don’t love this plan—it sounded like Kent had a much better one when he talked me into this—but it still depends on seeing it through to the end. You can’t go blabbing to her now. She’ll call off the wedding and who knows what will happen then?”

“Ken, and I think he predicted civil war,” Ikki said, and Sawa stared at him. She wanted him to be joking, but as he looked at her, she knew he wasn’t. “We know a few nobles who are likely to be after the regency, but the other end of it is they have possible claims to the throne, too. If they can’t use Kokoa, they’ll start a war. Ken’s sure of that much, and it may even be the goal of enemies outside our gates. So for now… the engagement has to stand, and you can’t say anything about Shin being alive because if Ken… if for some reason the marriage doesn’t happen, we need Shin. Not that that’s all Ken’s planned on. Waka’s still looking for Nhil, and if we can find him, that will end all of this.”

“I...” Sawa swallowed. “I understand all that, but you’re not understanding me. Shin, please, you know me better than Ikki does because Kokoa’s your cousin. What does everyone say about me and Mine?”

Shin swore. “That you have big mouths and can’t keep a secret to save your lives.”

Ikki frowned. “That’s an exaggeration, right?”

Sawa shook her head. “No. Wasn’t last night enough proof for you?”

“What did you do last night?”

Ikki smiled. “She told me very forcefully she wasn’t going to be one of my conquests.”

“So?”

“I also told him about Orion’s theory even though I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone. Oh, hell. I just told you, too. I… Uh… I can’t do this. I’ll say something. Even if I don’t, Kokoa knows me too well. She knows when something’s bothering me, and I… I always tell her what it is. I can’t help it. She… she either pushes or she uses her eyes and… I can’t say no even if I don’t want to… and...” Sawa lowered her head. “I’ll end up telling her. Maybe not right away, but… soon enough. She’ll keep asking. And asking. And… I’ll say something. I might do it even if she doesn’t prompt me to. It’s… Shin’s alive. How am I supposed to act like I don’t know that?”

Shin grimaced. “Damn it. She’s got a point. I don’t know. I guess you’d better come with me.”

“What?”

“You can’t be trusted not to tell. You just said that.”

“Yes, but you’re in hiding. I can’t go with you. I don’t know where we’re going and—No. There’s too much to do for the wedding. I have to help with that.”

“Is being busy enough?”

Shin snorted. “How stupid are you, Ikki?”

“That’s mean,” Sawa said, though she had to admit, she was worried. She felt sick and strange knowing that Shin was still alive, and how was she going to keep that to herself? “I… I know it’s probably going to end in disaster, but I can’t leave Mine with everything, and Kokoa insisted on nursing Kent, so it’s not like she’ll be doing much, and she’ll panic if Orion’s out of her sight right now, so… I have to do my share.”

“Well, if you’re busy working, that will keep it from her for a bit.”

Shin looked at Ikki. “It won’t last.”

“No, but it buys us time, doesn’t it? I don’t think you’d like my other idea any more than you like that plan.”

“It’s coming from you, so probably not.”

Sawa frowned. “I don’t—I guess if you think it would help, maybe we should. I… I don’t know. I feel kind of queasy. Shin’s alive. I… I am trying not to—I should go—”

“Not before we figure this out,” Shin said. “If you go now, you might blurt it out as soon as you see her again.”

Sawa grimaced. “That’s not… I’d probably freeze up or maybe even vomit because I’m feeling that nauseous, but you don’t know that I’ll say anything and I don’t—”

“I hope eventually you will forgive me for this,” Ikki said, and she looked over at him with a frown. Was he about to abduct her? She fumbled for the door handle, trying to open it, but that put her closer to Ikki as he leaned in, and he caught her, pressing his lips against hers.

* * *

Ikki forced himself to back away, knowing that was far from a proper way to treat a lady—he hadn’t asked for permission, though that was deliberate—and he’d surprised himself by just how much he’d wanted to do it and enjoyed doing it, which just made it worse. He shouldn’t have wanted it, and he was wrong to have taken some pleasure in it when it was not that for her.

“What the hell?” Shin demanded, yanking him away from Sawa. “You really are a pervert.”

Ikki grimaced. “I’m not. I did, however, tell you that you wouldn’t like my plan.”

Shin stared at him. “That was a plan?”

“Sawa made it quite clear that she doesn’t like me, and I’m sure Kokoa’s aware of that, too. So, if Sawa gets asked what happened and truthfully and almost certainly blurts out an ‘Ikki kissed me,’ then no one will question her being upset.”

Shin shook his head. “That’s your plan? That’s a crappy plan, and look at her. She’s… I don’t even know what that look is.”

Sawa did seem a bit stunned, perhaps even more so than when she was confronted by a live Shin. Then again, since this was the second shock she’d gotten in a short period, so this one hit harder. Not that Shin was helping, acting like Ikki had assaulted her.

He hadn’t asked for permission, no, but he wasn’t a monster, either. True, it was more than a simple peck like he’d intended at first, but he also wasn’t sure that would be enough to make people think she was mad at him.

Or maybe he was just trying to convince himself and he really was the worst of the worst.

Damn it, his head never did stay on straight when it came to this sort of thing. He had Ken to keep him grounded in the war, keeping his focus in not just in battle but before and after it, too. Ken was the one who could stay emotionally detached, never panicked, but Ikki… Ikki was panicking after what happened to Ken, and he wasn’t thinking things through. If this was one of Ken’s puzzles, he would have crumpled it up in frustration. If he told Ken it was unsolvable, Ken would tell him to use a different strategy, but Ikki always struggled with that, since he had a hard time seeing any solution but the one he’d already used once, and it tripped him up more often than he wanted to admit.

“You should probably go,” Ikki said. “Both of you.”

“It’s not exactly—”

“It’s only a matter of time. If Ken starts feeling better, he’ll get stubborn enough to try and come here himself. And since Ken is Ken and doesn’t go down easy—those rumors about him in the war are exaggerated, but they do have _some_ truth to them—he will. So you both need to leave. Now.”

“I thought he was poisoned.”

“He took an antidote. He’d already gone into a fever state when I left. And while you’d think that it should be the end of it, it’s not. He’s too stubborn for that, and if he feels he has to—he’ll do whatever it takes despite how he feels. I know you’ve heard rumors about the battle of Meido.”

Shin grimaced. “That’s—”

“I’ll go,” Sawa said, and Ikki looked at her. “I need to get back anyway. I was going to go to the kitchen, but I won’t. I...”

“Sawa,” Ikki began, reaching out to her, but she flinched away from him.

“Don’t. Just let me go.”

He did, letting out a sigh.

“You’re an idiot,” Shin told him, and Ikki nodded. He knew that. He’d like to think he was smart, but sometimes when it came right down to it, he was a complete idiot.

“Still, I’m not wrong about all of it. Ken will be forcing himself up and here soon enough. And since Kokoa will be with him or at least trying to stop him, you need to go.”

Shin nodded. “I will. And Ikki?”

“What?”

“Sawa matters to Kokoa, so don’t think I won’t hurt you if you hurt her again. You’re lucky I don’t have time for it now.”

Ikki nodded. He knew that, too.

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few complications arise as they attempt to settle Kent in for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I worked on this chapter off and on and put it aside for a bit because I didn't like it. I've tried giving it time and distance, and I don't know how to improve it, and so finally I decided to post it to tumblr so I could be told how bad it was or what might be fixed.
> 
> Well... that didn't happen, so... I finally just finished the last scene and... it is what it is. I'm sorry it took so long. It just didn't want to be fixed.

* * *

“Oh, there you are, Sawa,” Orion said, and she stopped, staring at him like he’d said something terrible. “We were worried about you when you were gone for so long.”

Sawa swallowed, looking a bit nervous. That wasn’t like her. Orion had always thought she was pretty calm unless she was talking about someone attractive at court. She and Mine got excited when they did that and could be very loud, too. “I… I was just… I tried to...”

“Ikki told us you were looking at the queen’s rooms but weren’t very optimistic about them. I hope it’s not… I’m sorry we ended up here instead. Did I make you do a lot of work for nothing?” Neesan asked, frowning. “I hoped that I didn’t. I’m sorry. I’ve been… so confused and out of sorts… seeing Kent almost die to poison...”

She shuddered. Orion had seen her do that a lot when she thought about Kent. He knew she was really worried about him. He thought that meant that she felt a lot more, too. “I’m sorry.”

“The queen’s rooms aren’t ready now, can’t be, but I’ll do my best to have them done by the time you’re back,” Sawa said, recovering some, though her smile was still off and not like her at all. “I promise.”

“Sawa, you don’t look well. Are you sure you’re not… ill?”

Orion thought Neesan looked scared now. She was worried about Sawa, too, not just Kent. “Are you sick?”

“No. I’m fine. I… I’m fine.”

Neesan rose, walking toward her friend. “You don’t look at all well. I know you better than that. You don’t lie well, and you can’t lie to me. Why are you trying to? This is… is something else wrong? Did something happen while you were gone? Is it Mine?”

“Mine’s fine. She’s still busy with the wedding dress.”

“Then what’s got you so upset?” Orion asked, now almost as worried as Neesan was. Sawa was acting very strange. And she’d even gone red, too.

“I… Oh, bother it.” Sawa looked like she might cry. Orion hoped she didn’t. Sawa didn’t cry often, and if she did, it would be bad. “Fine. I… Ikki kissed me.”

Neesan frowned. “Ikki… kissed you? I thought… he told me he’d been busy helping set up for us to move Kent, and then he brought him in here, and… he kissed you? Oh, Sawa… I don’t understand. I thought he was too worried about Kent to be so terrible. Unless… Sorry, did you want him to do it?”

Sawa shook her head. “No. I thought… I thought he was different when I saw him taking care of Kent, but he… He’s not. Can we please not talk about this? I don’t want to discuss it. There’s still so much to do for the wedding and... You… You’re planning on staying here all night?”

“Yes.”

Sawa looked at Orion, who nodded. He didn’t think that anything would get Neesan away from Kent’s side until he was up and moving around, but right now, he was silent. Scarily so, even if Kent didn’t say much sometimes. Sometimes he said a lot, especially if he was lecturing him or Neesan, but now? He hadn’t said anything for hours. Sawa turned back to Kokoa. “That isn’t wise, even if you are here to take care of him while he’s sick and you’re engaged.”

“It’s not like that, though.”

“People might think it is, even if the whole castle probably knows about the attack on Kent by now.” Sawa winced, and Orion thought she hated herself a bit for saying what she was, even if she might just be right about it. “With how soon you set the date for the wedding… People will think the wrong thing. Please think about it at least.”

“Ikki would probably be fine watching over Kent while you slept,” Orion offered, trying to be helpful, “and it won’t be easy to get much rest in here. Kent’s room is like… well, less than half of half of yours.”

Orion was painfully aware of that. Kent’s room wasn’t very large, and he had it full between his desk, the bed, the shelves, and where he put his clothes, so much so that there was barely any space to move around in here at all. He felt sure he was going to smack into something at any moment, and that chair would not be comfortable overnight.

Then again, he had an unpleasant feeling that Neesan might even be willing to lie down next to him in bed if she thought it would help. She wouldn’t even see the problem with it.

“Don’t… need… to stay...”

Neesan jerked and looked over at the bed, reaching over to touch his hand. “Kent? Are you… How do you feel?”

He opened his eyes and frowned. “My room?”

“Yes.”

“Why… are you… all here?”

“Because you got stabbed.”

* * *

Ken seemed to groan and looked like he wanted to disappear into his bed. Ikki knew he shouldn’t laugh at that, but Ken behaving like a kid when he was sick had always been amusing, even if it hadn’t happened often and nothing should be funny when Ken almost died this afternoon. Still, seeing him awake again did make Ikki feel a bit better no matter what.

If his fever was down already, he might not even need this tea.

Sawa swallowed, looking like she’d lost some color in spite of the red in her cheeks, and she pushed past him to run out the door. He winced, but he didn’t stop her or go after her. He knew better than that. He couldn’t actually expect to be forgiven there. He’d come up with the best plan he could, but it still wasn’t great, and she’d been caught in the middle of things. If he could have found another way, he would have. He wished he had.

“Sorry,” Ikki said, feebly giving his apology to Kokoa instead. She still deserved one for him, not just for this, scaring Sawa off, but for the bigger secret behind Sawa’s true distress. He knew Ken wanted to finish this quickly, end the threat to the kingdom and Kokoa, get their enemies out in the open, and that meant keeping Shin’s survival a secret, but he also knew that Ken didn’t like his own methods. “I finally got back with the tea for Ken.”

Ken made some kind of noise, and Ikki almost laughed again, since he knew very well just how much disgusting Ken thought that tea was, but he still needed it all the same.

Kokoa rose, coming toward Ikki’s side. “I’ll take it.”

Orion grimaced. “Sawa was just trying to tell her that she shouldn’t stay here overnight.”

“I don’t disagree,” Ikki said, and Kokoa frowned at her. He gave her his best smile. “For one, Ken is a terrible patient. For another, your reputation is far too valuable to risk on something like this. People will not understand you staying to tend to him even if you are engaged.”

Kokoa looked back at Ken. “I hate this world. It’s so false and stupid and full of idiotic rules and ideas. Why should I be punished for doing the right thing? He needs care.”

“Which I’ll give him, and believe me, I’m far more used to his temper than you are despite the legendary nature of your fights.”

She frowned. “Ikki, that’s not funny.”

“I didn’t say it to be funny. Ken, tell her how bad of a patient you are.”

Ken grunted. “There is still… a dagger nearby… do not make me use it. Will if you… try… make me drink that.”

Ikki smiled as he turned to Kokoa. “See? That’s quite tame for Ken when he’s sick. Should have seen him after that assassin from—”

“Ikkyu.”

That one made him flinch. He did know that tone, and in the war, it was even scarier. This was no matter for joking. Ken either felt a lot better and was ready to start making more plans—or he was a lot worse, and they were going to be scrambling for damage control.

Time to get the princess out of here.

“I stationed a few additional guards in areas near your rooms,” Ikki said. “You shouldn’t notice them, but I want to be sure you’re safe. And I’ll escort you back myself, if you don’t mind, your highness?”

“After what you did to Sawa?”

Ikki shook his head. “I was overcome by her loyalty and devotion to you. She’s an exceptional woman, and I made a mistake. I doubt she’ll forgive me, but I assure you that I will not do anything during our brief walk to your room.”

“Ikki—”

“Go with him,” Ken ordered, and even though Kokoa looked like she might argue with him, she stopped herself and reluctantly let Ikki escort her out.

* * *

“You don’t look any better than when I left, so what do you think you’re doing?”

“I am most certainly not drinking that thing,” Kent said, eying the teapot with disgust. He adjusted the pillow behind him, his head aching, though not nearly as much as his arm was. That stupid cut stung. “Don’t think you can make me.”

Ikkyu came over to the bed. “Yeah, you look like you’d gladly use that dagger against me, and I didn’t even do anything.”

Kent gave him a look. “And yet you had to apologize for your actions against Sawa.”

“Well… she found out about Shin, so I needed some way to explain her unusual behavior and upset, so I chose a kiss as the lesser of a few evils. Shin wanted her to go into hiding with him, which was probably the better plan, but she’s a little too important to disappear right now.”

Kent put a hand to his head. “You let her find out about Shin?”

“Well, it wasn’t exactly like—”

“You let her find out about Shin.”

“You’re doing the scary voice again, and I know you do scary voice very well, and you were a very, very commanding general and then some, but you know, I know that you—”

“Ikkyu, you are a complete fool sometimes, but you’ve never been so stupid before,” Kent said, putting a hand over his arm as its throbbing increased. “Do you have any idea how much that woman can talk? How little discretion she has? I should kill you. What the hell did I work for all these months if you’re going to—”

“It was an accident. Shin was still in your room when I got here, and I thought that I’d sent her back to Kokoa. I didn’t think she was going to burst in the door and see him. Get mad at Shin if you want to be mad at someone. He knew better than to be in your room.”

Kent grabbed the bed, twisting his fingers in the sheet as he felt dizzy again. “Why do people have to ruin such good plans?”

“You have to factor in some human frailty and stupidity, you know. We’re not all perfect.”

Kent shoved the pillow down and laid flat, hoping he would not be ill. He did not want to vomit, even if he had been poisoned. He hadn’t ingested it, so it wasn’t necessary. He closed his eyes and waited for the feeling to pass. He did not feel much of any improvement. He should go back to sleep, he supposed, let his body finish its fight against the poison, but he knew he had too much to do before the wedding and now he had to fix what Shin and Ikki had ruined. Sawa was a risk. That could not be allowed, even if she was the best and most practical—which was not exactly saying much—friend that Kokoa had.

“You need to rest.”

“I know that, but if Sawa knows Shin is alive...”

“I’ve handled it. For now. I’ll take care of things. Don’t worry so much. You don’t have to handle everything yourself.”

Kent grimaced. “You know that I—”

“I mean it. You were stabbed and poisoned and you need to recover. Please. Look, you know that with as little time as there is before the wedding, more attempts will be made either to kill you or threaten her. So we need to be prepared. You need to be able to fight back. So just rest. I’ll take care of things until you’re better.”

“I will be fine.”

“You don’t sound or look it.”

“I felt better before I knew you’d let Sawa find out. This is a disaster.”

“It’s under control for now. Trust me.”

Kent sighed. He supposed he had little other choice.

* * *

The morning could not come soon enough for her, and so as soon as the dawn’s light came in through her window, Kokoa was on the move and headed for the part of the castle where Kent’s room was. She wanted to be there, nowhere else, and she knew that was stupid—Kent didn’t even want her there, he wouldn’t want her there, but she couldn’t help her need to be there.

Kent had been hurt because of her. Nothing made that better, and having been forced away from him out of propriety only made her more frustrated. She wanted to know that he was well, and she didn’t want someone else to tell her that. She wanted to be there herself.

She walked down to the door and looked up at it. Kent should be sleeping, so interrupting him would not be kind, but she still wanted to see him. She reached up to knock.

The door opened, and Ikki looked at her with a tired frown. “Your highness?”

“How is he?”

“Well, he was stubborn and tried to do some work, but he was too dizzy for that, so he finally gave in and went back to sleep,” Ikki said with a smile this time instead of the frown, though he was still sleepy, and it was obvious on him. “What brings you here so early?”

“I wanted to see how Kent was,” she said, feeling silly now that she said it. “I… I know you said not to worry, but I did and I do and… it’s light now, and I couldn’t sleep, so why bother staying where I was? It didn’t help.”

“Oh, my poor princess. Did you not get any rest?”

“Ikki, please. I just want to see Kent.”

He nodded, opening the door. “Very well, but I should warn you that early morning isn’t much better than late at night, so make it quick and go back to bed.”

She gave him a look and went into where the bed. Kent didn’t stir as she got close. She didn’t see the chair she’d used earlier—maybe it was back at the desk? So she ended up sitting on the edge of the bed, feeling uncomfortable, aware as she was that Ikki was still watching her.

She couldn’t apologize like this, even if she wanted to, and she still wasn’t sure she did, since she didn’t think she’d done anything wrong. She touched Kent’s hand, and he mumbled something she didn’t understand.

“Kent?”

“You touching my hand is more creepy than comforting, Ikkyu. Go away.”

She heard Ikki laughing and shook her head. “It’s not Ikki. I just wanted to see how you were feeling this morning.”

“Not well. I seem to be hallucinating.”

She frowned. “What? Hallucinating?”

She leaned forward to touch his forehead, hoping his fever wasn’t still high. No, he felt warm but not so warm she’d be worried, though it wasn’t like she had a lot of experience with Kent to know how he felt most of the time, just that if it was Orion she’d think he was fine.

“You think otherwise? I keep hearing the princess’ voice when I know she’s not in my bedroom. That would be absurd.”

She almost laughed at that, feeling both pleased and ashamed at the same time. She wondered just how far she could take this, if he’d think it was still Ikki if she brushed back part of his hair. He looked younger and more vulnerable without his glasses. She was a bit worried for him again having that thought.

“You’re not hallucinating. I came to see how you were.”

Kent opened his eyes and studied her with suspicion. “Why would you do that?”

She supposed any silly reason would just annoy him. “I was worried. You almost died yesterday.”

“I suppose that would have made it simpler.” Kent closed his eyes again, leaving her to gape at him in shock. How could he say that? His death wouldn’t simplify anything, and they’d all be in trouble if something more had happened to him.

“Don’t say that. You know it’s not true. Even if neither of us wants this marriage, it’s not simple if you die. It’s not right. You can’t die. I don’t want to lose anyone else, and I… I can’t imagine marrying anyone else.” She couldn’t help but admit that. She’d done a lot of thinking about it, both before and after asking him, and there was no one else to ask.

Well, Ikki, but she couldn’t marry Ikki. He was a good friend, but she didn’t know that she could ever believe he loved her.

Not that love was the point. It wasn’t. She didn’t get to marry for love.

“Things would be different if others were alive.”

“That’s not the—”

“I am tired. Go away.”

“Ken, you don’t have to be like that. She did come all this way to check on you, long before she should have, and while I know you hate being laid up, you can’t take it out on her. Sorry, your highness. I did try to warn you. He’s not pleasant to be around when he’s like this.”

She nodded. Ikki had warned her. Still, she wanted to be here, with Kent. “You should take a bit of time to rest, too. You have so much to do for everyone, and you haven’t had any sleep. Please. I’ll watch over him for a while.”

“I don’t need to be coddled.”

“Please, Kent. Let me.”

He stared at her, and she thought she wanted to crawl away somewhere and hide rather than face him for a moment longer, but then he finally stopped. Closing his eyes again, he turned away. “Fine. Do as you will.”

She leaned back with relief. No, she wasn’t fooling herself, she knew that he didn’t want her here, but he’d allowed her to stay anyway, which she still knew was a victory. She smiled, a bit pleased, and settled in to watch over him as she’d promised.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kent tries to deal with the problems of the morning, but things are still in a bad place for everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize. It has been a while. Between my poor health of late, writer's block, and some more demanding stories sapping what creativity I had, it's been hard to get this updated. I do think I found what I needed to continue, so hopefully there won't be such a long gap next time.

* * *

“ _I’m told you’re a commoner. A scientist.”_

_Kent looked across the room at the noble in all his fine garments, his wealth on display as well as some mockery of military prowess. True, he did command what was left of the north’s military, but as Ikkyu’s troops had just finished forcing them from the country in a miserable defeat, that was no great thing at all. The north had not gained any territory or honor in this war, only shame and loss._

_Kent did have the numbers. He knew how many had fought and died on both sides, and all he could see in that was waste. The whole thing had started as a grab for power, but in the end, nothing had changed. They held their lands, and the north was back within their own border._

“ _Some kind of… intellectual.”_

“ _Would you prefer your defeat come at the hands of someone stupid?” Kent asked, not entirely certain why he’d been asked to handle the treaty negotiation. He was no diplomat, everyone knew that. He hadn’t even been much of a lecturer when he was a teacher._

_The nobleman smiled. “No. I suppose I would not at that, but it is still surprising to me. You seem to be something made of legends, something… impossible.”_

_Kent shook his head. “Hardly. I am fairly ordinary, merely forced into unusual circumstances, and one cannot count the victory of greater numbers as anything particularly talented.”_

“ _And humble, too.”_

“ _If you are going to continue patronizing me in this manner, I will find someone else to set the terms of the armistice. This is tedious, and I dislike wasting my time with pointless conversation.”_

“ _As do I. So tell me—what exactly do you think our terms must be?” The nobleman leaned forward, smiling at Kent as he did. “I am very curious. Do you intend to demand harsh tribute?”_

“ _It is not my place to do that, though I am generally of the opinion that you will try this invasion again as soon as you are able. In that respect, I suppose, there is perhaps a reason to enforce severe penalties as a possible deterrent. However, it is also true that such a punishment might lead to further resentment and fuel those who wish for war.”_

“ _You seem to have rather a good understanding of the situation.”_

“ _And you seem to think I won’t see this flattery as an insult. I have no interest in what you think of me. This is simply a duty that must be carried out to end this war. That is all. If you have not true interest in this negotiation, then I suggest we end this futility. I told you already—I do not like to waste my time.”_

“ _That is very much true, isn’t it?” A new voice asked, and Kent tensed, looking back to see the prince entering the room with Ikkyu and Waka at his side. Neither of them seemed pleased to be there, though with Nhil putting himself in the middle of this, it was to be expected. “I take it you’ve been giving Kent here trouble.”_

“ _If trouble is admiring his comprehension of the situation, then I suppose I am guilty.”_

_Nhil gave the other man a thin smile. “If you’re planning on trying to steal Kent from us, you should reconsider. I’ve every intention of making him a valued part of our government from now on. Father has even agreed it is a wise decision after all that Kent did for us in the war. So we won’t allow you to take him from us.”_

_Kent frowned. This was the first he’d heard of that, nor did he think that was the nobleman’s intention at all. “Your highness, I do not believe—”_

“ _A pity you caught on so quickly. I hadn’t even had time to convince the young man that his skills would be more valued in my country.”_

_Kent felt himself developing a headache. He did not want to continue this conversation. “If you wish to finish this negotiation, I would be most willing to leave it in your hands.”_

“ _Not at all, Kent. I expect great things from you, as does Father.”_

_Kent frowned. “I do not understand why. It was my intention to resume teaching after the war was over. This is the last of my duties as a part of the military, and frankly, that is a relief.”_

“ _He is charming.”_

“ _Yes. A much more fit husband for my dear little sister than you.”_

“ _Excuse me?” Kent looked over at Ikkyu, who seemed torn between laughter and disbelief. Waka seemed to be scowling at the prince. This must be one of Nhil’s impractical attempts at humor, then. He put his hand back to his head, pushing a paper across the table with the other. “Forget it. I have already outlined the minimum I believe is necessary to achieve any measure of peace.”_

“ _I look forward to reading it,” the nobleman said, and Nhil smiled as well. “I believe you will be more reasonable about this than most others.”_

“ _I only wish to end this conflict in a matter that does not compromise the lives of our people,” Kent said. “I have no interest in anything else. And I have never even met his sister, so do not let him fool you. I am a scholar, nothing more.”_

“ _A scholar with an incredible mind for strategy. You are quite dangerous.”_

“ _Quit trying to sound scary. You’re not,” Nhil smiled again, far too flippant under the circumstances. “I’ve known you too long to believe that, you know, and you won’t fool Kent that easily. He’s not one to be tricked.”_

“ _I do hope your plans for him include being the official ambassador to my country.”_

_Kent shook his head. “Absolutely not. I hate politics.”_

* * *

Kent felt something touch his arm and jerked awake again, blinking in confusion. He didn’t understand at first why he was seeing someone else’s hair, a shade and style he knew to be favored by one woman in particular. She was very unique, and he would not be surprised if there was a secret edict among the other ladies of court not to have their hair look anything like the princess’ even if she should have someone near her who could pass for her in case of an assassin.

Knowing Kokoa, she would never agree to such a thing. He put his free hand to his head, grimacing. He did remember her coming to his room and insisting on staying, though Ikkyu must have overslept because she should have left by now, judging from the light coming in through his window now. He knew if he tried to move, he’d wake her, which he did not want even if he wanted to get out of here.

He was fortunate. He hadn’t gone to one of his nightmares in his delirium—or, if he had, he’d done it when she was not present and only Ikkyu was in the room—but that did not mean he wished to be embarrassed in front of her. Having remembered that awkward meeting that began the treaty negotiations was difficult enough.

He had certainly never intended to be in this position. Joining the council had not been his plan after the war ended, even if it had been impossible to return to the life he’d had before, to focus himself only on his studies. Nhil had been very persistent about appointing him to the council, and Kent had become the head of it within a relatively short time of his foolish agreement to take the commission.

He knew he could not go back. The war had changed too much in the land and in him, and he could not turn away from the problems that he saw as a part of the council, just as he could not ignore the necessity of a regent and the knowledge that he was one of few who could fill that role.

“Hmm.” She was moving against his arm now, and he felt very uncomfortable. “Mmm.”

“Do you always make such noises in your sleep?”

Her head jerked up in surprise, and she stared at him. “Kent?”

“Am I somehow unrecognizable to you at present? I would have thought that was my position as I cannot see as well without my glasses, yet you have no such trouble.”

She flushed red. “I… I just meant…”

He waited, and she groaned, turning away, covering her face. That seemed excessive.

“I wasn’t supposed to fall asleep. I came here to take care of you, not sleep.”

Kent shook his head. “It is unnecessary. The fever has passed, and while the wound is still a minor irritation, I feel much improved. I told you when you came you did not need to stay, and that is still true. I was able to sleep, and aside from some nuisance memories, am well enough.”

“Oh. I’m glad,” she said, looking back at him. “Nuisance memories?”

“They are unimportant.” Kent turned to the other side of the bed, grabbing the robe from the bed post. He pulled it on, grimacing as he moved his injured arm. “What is more important now is the likelihood of anyone seeing you leaving here now, as the castle will be full of activity by this time of the morning.”

She bit her lip. “Well… Doesn’t it help with what we’re doing even if it does damage my reputation some?”

“Our reputations, and why would it help anything?”

She swallowed. “Um… because… well… would we be… faking a marriage… if we were… um… lovers? So… people won’t think it’s fake, right?”

“In some sense, no, but I do not know that it is worth what they will say about you. The blame and shame seems to be put mostly on the woman in such situations, and you will feel it even more than others might as you are the princess. I believe it would be better if this does not become public knowledge, even if we are engaged and there was nothing… inappropriate in your actions or intentions.”

She sighed. “I just… Yesterday scared me, Kent. I… I can’t lose anyone else.”

He closed his eyes, swallowing and choosing his words with extreme care. “I am doing what I can to ensure that will not happen. I do believe most, if not all, of our enemies will be forced to show themselves before the wedding.”

“Because you believe that they’re after the regency?”

“Yes. Most of them are.” Kent rose, pulling his robe closed. Ikkyu had apparently discarded his shirt somewhere, and though he did not want a dirtied one, he did need to dress.

“Are you sure that you should be walking around?”

“I told you I feel fine.” Kent refused to grab onto something even as he got a bit dizzy. He was no longer ill, and he would not stay in bed. He had too much to do, and he could not afford to be weak right now. He had to be where they could move against him. If Enishi failed, that left a few others on the council. They would likely not make any attempts themselves, but even an assassin could be of use if they knew their employer.

“I don’t really think you do.”

He glanced toward her and then went to the door, stopping when he remembered his glasses. He couldn’t see if there was anyone out there right now. Waka’s guards would be fine, but if there were others, she would be in trouble.

She put her hand on his arm, and he almost jumped. “Kent, I… Please don’t take any more risks. I know Ikki said you were prepared for what happened, and you were, you had that antidote, but… I don’t want you hurt for my sake. I don’t want you hurt at all.”

“Kokoa—”

“Please,” she repeated, wrapping her arms around him. He tensed, but she didn’t let go. “I know we fought again yesterday, but you’re… I… You’re too important to lose, so… please be careful.”

* * *

“This is pointless.”

Waka raised an eyebrow, looking over at Toma, who was grumbling into his drink, acting much more like his younger brother than himself. Then again, few here knew him or had any real expectation of him being other than what he was, so he had apparently chosen to drop the pretense. That, or his anger had once again gotten the better of him, which did not surprise Waka at all. He had known what he was taking on in agreeing to Kent’s suggestion that he bring this one along with him.

Toma’s need to protect Shin and Kokoa would have interfered with all that Kent was doing to lure out the true threat to the kingdom, so even though he was far from suited to the subtle nature of the work that Waka needed to do here, he had brought him along. He did not want to risk a greater loss than one or two players in the game, and Toma was one that did not understand that—not for those he cared for, at least.

Kent had already lost most of those people, but more than that, his willingness to send the few friends he had into battle and other dangers meant that he could make decisions few were capable of—Waka did not think he knew of anyone else besides himself who would. Ikki certainly did not like it when the plans involved some kind of risk to Kent, though he did trust his friend enough to follow almost any strategy Kent devised.

Waka did not think any others were possible under the circumstances. The waters were too muddied, too unclear, and until their enemy showed themselves, there was little they could do. Dangling the princess as bait was far from the most chivalrous course, but it was unfortunately very necessary.

Any plan that would draw out their enemy required giving them an opportunity. Either they would try and take her for themselves or they would attempt to eliminate her to create further chaos and instability. Only then would the end goal be clear.

“I should be back there. They need me.”

Waka gave Toma a hard look. “Are you so certain of that? Shin is capable of his own defense—he fared better in his fight than you did, after all—and as for Kokoa, though she is not a fighter, she is resourceful and surrounded by those who can protect her.”

“You had better not be talking about Ikki.”

“Ikki is head of the army for a reason. His position was earned through blood and battle, even if few see it in him today. That is only because he has perfected being charming enough so that no one can see the pain.” Waka had been offered the same position first, but he had not wanted it, preferring the role he had now. If anyone regretted their choice of work after the war, Waka felt certain it was Kent, who had the thankless task of leading a council that viewed him as an outsider and an upstart in among the politicians and nobles who would also gladly see him dead.

Toma shook his head. “I need to be doing something, Waka. We can’t keep sitting around and waiting.”

“If it were simple and easy to locate Nhil, it would already have been done. We must be careful. Any rush to follow a false lead will only end in our deaths, and that does not help anyone. I intend to locate the prince or at least learn his fate once and for all. Sometimes that means waiting. So I will wait. This is necessary.”

“Couldn’t you have brought someone else along for this?”

“You were the ideal choice.”

“Why? You know I’m not used to subterfuge. Is this just because I’m supposed to be dead?”

“In part.” The rest of it, other than trying to keep Toma out of their plans, had to do with keeping one of the others with the highest claims to the throne alive in case the worst happened and both the princess and Orion were lost.

Kent had prepared for that, though Waka strongly suspected his motive for keeping Toma alive was not as logical as he told himself it was. Kokoa valued her cousin highly, perhaps unwisely, and Kent was aware of that as well.

“As you are supposed to be dead, no one will think you are here looking for Nhil. That is an advantage. Already you have had some minor success in eliminating rumors.”

Toma grimaced. “Not all of them. You’ve heard the one going around now, haven’t you? She’s supposed to marry Kent and he’ll be regent.”

Waka nodded, not bothering to correct Toma. That was fact, not rumor, as he well knew. If Kent survived to the ceremony, he would be regent. The odds, of course, were against that. “It is not the one that matters to us. We need to learn if there is any truth to the rumor about Nhil being a guest of that noble here before he disappeared.”

“It’s not like the guy’s going to admit it in casual conversation.”

“I don’t have casual conversations,” Waka said, smiling thinly. He would prefer to extract the truth in that kind of a direct confrontation, but that was not possible given the noble’s power and position here. “Still, it is why we must wait. Our source may have more information for us soon.”

“And if they don’t?”

“Then we act.”

* * *

“She’s with Ken.”

Sawa almost jumped out of her skin. She winced, not wanting to see the man who’d just spoken. She had no idea how to act or feel around him, between what she knew and what he’d done. She was scared and angry and worried she’d do something wrong and ruin everything.

“What?”

“I figured you’d get worried when you went in to wake her and she wasn’t there. She came to Ken’s room early this morning and insisted on staying with him while I rested.”

“After all we did to talk her out of that yesterday? Is she insane? She has to know that they’ll think the worst of her if she does that even if she’s not like that and he’s not and it was so she could care for him while he’s sick.” Sawa was going to be ill herself, not sure how to deal with a friend who had lost all her common sense.

“Well, on the one hand, I find it a bit encouraging because she cares enough about Ken that she doesn’t care about gossip or her reputation, but on the other, it’s still a problem, and we’re going to have to be the ones to fix it. Well, probably you, actually. I get to try and find some way of keeping him from another attack.”

“You think there will be one?”

“Yes. The others will learn from Enishi’s mistake and be more careful, but there are too many that want that kind of power on the council alone, plus there may be other nobles or even foreigners involved. The next few days will be… dangerous, I suppose is the best word for them.”

Sawa winced. She didn’t want to think about that. This situation was hard enough without knowing that. Why did he have to keep making it worse?

“You do have protection, and so does she. Don’t go anywhere without them, and you’ll both be fine. Just worry about getting the wedding ready. I’ll see to everyone’s safety.”

She nodded. She almost asked about Shin but caught herself. She needed to get away from here. If she stayed much longer, she’d do something she shouldn’t.

“I am sorry about yesterday.”

“Don’t. Please. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I know you probably won’t believe this, but that’s not how I am with women. I don’t do anything they don’t want to do, and hell, most often, they want more than I do.” Ikki shook his head. “I just… It kept the secret, didn’t it? So I guess even if you hate me for it, it’s worth that much.”

She swallowed. What was she supposed to say? Did he expect her to forgive him? That wasn’t really possible, was it? She mostly understood why they kept Shin’s survival a secret, but she knew, and she knew her best friend and the princess she was pledged to serve was hurting, so how did she ignore that? And that kiss…

“I need to go. I have a lot to do. And I’m sure you do, too.”

“Yes. You’re right.”

* * *

“My lord?”

“Make your report. And no groveling. If you so much as start, I’ll see to it you and your entire worthless family are wiped from the earth.”

The servant nodded, gulping as he bowed his head and got on his knees before his lord. “Your loyal ones at court have confirmed the rumor concerning the princess’ engagement. It was announced two nights ago.”

“And?”

“And she has chosen the head of the council, the former war general of the Clover Order.”

When he looked up, he saw something strange. He’d expected his master to be angry, but instead, he was smiling as if the news pleased him. “My lord?”

“Perfect. I could not have hoped for a better outcome.”

His voice shook. “My lord?”

“Not only will I be able to do as I see fit with this kingdom, but I’ll have the added advantage of ending the last of the Clover Order. This has been a long time coming, and I must say, I’m looking forward to it.”

He nodded to his master’s words, though he could not help feeling sorry for the man his lord was planning to kill. He would suffer greatly before he died.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kokoa tries to dissuade Kent, but he's set on the plan he's chosen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote a couple of these scenes and then got annoyed with them and where the story was going because I wasn't managing to find the right balance of the romance and the political intrigue. I had a much different path in mind when I first started, so this surprised me. Not that I should be surprised because stories always change on me, but that did mean that I didn't know how to continue exactly. I rethought it some, and that allowed me to change a few things around so that I could get things in motion again while not losing sight of the other angle, and I hope it worked.

* * *

“You need to let go of me. I… I have a lot of work to do today.”

Kokoa knew that, but she also knew if she let Kent go, he’d do as he said. He’d go back to work. Someone had tried to kill him, and he’d almost died to the poison. He shouldn’t be out of bed. He shouldn’t be working. She didn’t understand why he felt the need to push himself, especially after what she’d told him, how she’d pretty much begged him not to go, not to die.

“Can’t you rest for one day? I know the council doesn’t want to do their jobs without you, and you do most of the work, but that’s not reason enough to risk it, is it? Someone tried to kill you yesterday and they could try again today. I know Enishi was likely working alone, but what if he wasn’t?”

“I believe he was. Only one person would truly gain by acquiring the regency, and that is the person who holds it. Only one of them can, so even if four or more of them want it, someone else getting it does them no good. They won’t work together. Very likely they hate each other because they are rivals already.”

She could understand that, but that didn’t make it safe. “You said that four others might want what Enishi wanted, what he tried to kill you for. How can you ignore that?”

“I’m not. I have to go out there because of it.”

“What? That doesn’t make sense, Kent. You’re supposed to be logical. You know better than anyone what is at stake, so you have to live and make the regency happen.”

Kent pried her fingers loose and turned to face her. “When I told you that I accepted what came with the agreement, I was not lying. I knew what I was actually agreeing to, and I did not do so blindly.”

She frowned. “I don’t—”

“It is highly unlikely this marriage will happen. In fact, it is almost entirely avoidable if this plan works and we are able to draw out all of our enemies before the day of the wedding. They don’t have much time, so they must act before it happens. After that, I can and will change the laws, and they know that. They fear it. So… they will make another attempt, and I must allow them to do so.”

She stared at him. “No. You didn’t—that’s not what I asked of you. You know it isn’t. I asked for a marriage. Not your death. Don’t think that I wanted that. No matter how much we fought before, that’s not what I wanted.”

Kent shook his head. “I never said you wanted it. I am only telling you this because you have to understand what is necessary.”

“No. I don’t. I refuse to accept that you dying is necessary.”

“It may not be, but giving them the opportunity to believe that they can kill me is.”

“No. This is insane. Kent, listen to yourself. Remember how I came to you because you were the only one capable of surviving being the regent, the only one people would respect enough? Why would you act like your life means nothing?”

“Because it does.”

“What?”

He took her hands. She wasn’t sure if he thought she was going to smack him or it was intended as some kind of comfort. “There are others who can take this place if it is necessary. I do not just mean Ikkyu. You will be safe, and so will Orion. The best chance of making that happen is to force all our enemies out of hiding before the wedding.”

“I… No. That… It… the regency is enough. It is. I don’t—you don’t have to do this—”

“We don’t know who sent those assassins after Shin and Toma. We don’t know what happened to your brother. We can’t ignore those threats, but they will remain hidden if I do nothing besides take the position of regent. This is a better outcome. You will understand that eventually.” Kent let go of her hands and stepped away from her. “Now you need to go.”

“No. I’m not going. I’m not doing this. I—Why can’t you understand something so simple as me saying I don’t want to lose you? That’s not that hard to comprehend. I know it’s not.”

Kent reached into the armoire and took out a clean shirt, pulling the one he wore off and setting it aside. She swallowed, a bit shocked he was willing to bare so much in front of her, but she couldn’t lose focus on that now, even if her eyes were drawn to the scars on his back and part of her wanted to ask about them. Another part of her wanted to touch them, but that was insane, too.

This whole thing was.

“You are not losing anything,” Kent said as he pulled one of his scholar robes on over his shirt. He didn’t bother to adjust it—she’d always thought it looked a bit like Kent didn’t care what he wore, and this would seem to be proof, but she also though that he was just in a hurry to get away from her.

She rushed to the door to block it before he could leave. “You’re not going.”

“Excuse me?”

“I don’t think I’ve been at all unclear. I will not let you do this. You are not going to die.”

Kent took hold of her arms and pulled her away from the door with almost no effort at all. She winced, hating being so small and… feminine. She wasn’t supposed to do much, not even think, so she didn’t have any strength. Sawa had so much more than her, even Mine did.

“I have calculated and accepted the risk, and it is not so grave as you think nor is it true that you would miss me. You’re afraid of whoever might be an alternative to me being worse, but that is not true even of Ikkyu. You will be fine. I have too much to do to lie in bed all day, and you also have things to see to—things that are much more important than delaying me.”

She shook her head again, desperate, her eyes filling up with tears. Why wouldn’t he listen to her? Why couldn’t he understand what she was saying? “You’re wrong.”

“You have always thought so, but I know I am not,” Kent said. He started to open the door and then stopped. “It would be best if if you did not leave right after I do. Even though you were here for innocent reasons and have far too generous a heart and make too many emotional decisions—no one will believe that it was just for my fever that you came. That is not wise. Now excuse me.”

He left, and she stood there, shaking with fury and shame as he did, so angry with him but even more angry with herself. She should have been able to stop him, and she hadn’t. And now she was crying, and it was stupid and humiliating and she wanted to hate him again.

Only she didn’t, she was still terrified of losing him, and how dare he think any of this was fine?

She took a deep breath. She would compose herself, and then she was going after him. This would not stand. She wouldn’t let it.

* * *

“Our conversation isn’t finished.”

Kent grimaced. If he turned back now, he was sure to see her in full fury, and she was rather magnificent in that, a rare sight and full of passion. He could not afford to look at her. His resolve would waver, and he could not permit that. He had a plan, had one for months now, and throwing it away this late in its course would be a waste.

“It was, and it is. I have nothing more to say to you, and if you wish to hold to the pretense that we are in accord, you should leave. Now.”

She caught hold of his arm, and despite how minor of a wound it was, her touch stung. He pulled away, knowing it was a weakness. He wasn’t that fatigued. This was a nuisance, nothing more, as he’d already said. He did not want to argue about it, either, though he was almost certain another argument was about to start, since she refused to let their earlier conversation go.

Why was she pushing this matter, anyway? She didn’t even like him.

“Even if I _was_ satisfied with our last conversation—and I’m not—Are you sure you want to convene the council today? You still seem tired.”

Kent frowned. That was rather an absurd question to ask, and how on earth could she tell he was tired? Her touch on his arm gave him pain, not fatigue. “You do understand that I have certain appearances to maintain as well as responsibilities. I already gave you all the reasons why I’m doing this. That was what made you so angry before, wasn’t it?”

He did not think he could be mistaken in that, though why it upset her so much he still did not know, as she didn’t care much for him.

“Yes, I know, but you…” She looked around the hallway, and he wondered if that meant that she at least had the sense not to mention his plan in public. “I know I’m fussing. I just… I told you I’m worried. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

He turned away, not wanting to look at her. He did not want her saying that, and he knew her opinion would change once she knew what he’d done. She was stubborn, and he did not expect to be forgiven for his actions regarding Shin and Toma. That only made this situation that much more difficult.

“You know that I have a right to sit in on the council.”

“That is not necessary, and I don’t want you there.”

“It’s still my right, regardless of your wishes,” she said, and he could feel her moving since she had his arm again. She’d taken his good one this time, and he knew why, but he would rather she wasn’t touching him. “So that thing you just said to hurt me… that...”

“I was not saying it to hurt you. I was being direct and expressing the truth. I do not want you there.”

“Even so, I just said—”

“And I could still find a way to bar you from attending if I feel it necessary. Do not think I have not considered the possibilities. You irritate me often when you’re in attendance, so why wouldn’t I have thought of ways to ensure you were not present?”

She let go and stepped away from him. “You have?”

His frustration had gotten the better of him again. He should not have said it, but he did feel that way in the past. She was meddlesome, there was no denying that, and they did quarrel often. Ikkyu liked to say that was a sign of other things, but Kent had never thought so. He just resented her interference when he knew much better how to handle the government.

“I am certain you have other things to see to at present,” Kent said. “You can do them instead of watching me as it is quite unnecessary. The poison did not have a chance to do much, and I am already more or less recovered. It is hardly my first experience with such a thing—not even with that particular blend, so I have some resistance to it. You can be assured of that and leave me alone.”

She stared at him. “Why are you doing this? Not only is it counter to our agreement, but… you’re being colder to me than you ever have before, even when we disagreed.”

“Blame it on the fatigue if you wish. I need to see to my duties. You have yours. Why is this even an issue?”

She swallowed, shaking her head. “I don’t know. I… Forget it. I wasn’t going to leave you with them, but… I don’t… I don’t want to see you right now.”

She turned and left, and Kent watched her go, not sure there was any other way this could go. She would hardly accept that she could not be near him if an assassin made his move, and he still could not understand her insistence on being with him. Though she was perhaps right to worry, as he was nearly killed the day before, she didn’t even like him, so all this fuss was just an annoyance.

He shook his head. Making her angry was easy enough, and now that it was done, he could go back to the things he must do.

* * *

“I don’t understand,” Kokoa said, trying not to fidget as Mine made some adjustments to the dress she’d forced on her. This couldn’t possibly be the wedding dress, she knew that much, since it didn’t have yards of skirt or a train. In fact, it was so plain and sheer Kokoa had a terrible feeling it was meant for the wedding night. “Why is this necessary?”

“Stop being so silly. This is the part of the dress that goes under and will be closest to you. I have to know if it fits.”

“You better not be lying. If this is for our wedding night, you can tear it up right now. I think I’m going to end up stabbing him myself before we get married.”

“What?”

She winced as she heard her brother’s voice. Sighing, she put her hand to her head. “I’m just frustrated. Kent’s being impossible. I told him I was worried about him, but he still acted like… like I was just an annoyance to him. Why did he even agree to this if he hates me so much?”

“I don’t think he hates you,” Orion said, frowning. “Kent was pretty kind to you the other night when you announced the engagement, and he tried hard to do what you said and stay polite to those false people congratulating you.”

She nodded. She did remember that. “I know, but he… he wouldn’t listen to me when I said I didn’t want him risking his life. Not just once—I told him more than once—but he refused to accept it. I wasn’t going to leave him, but then he… he said he had come up with ways to keep me from attending the council meetings. That I was irritating.”

“You can be irritated with someone and not hate them,” Orion said. He looked around. “You think so, too, don’t you, Sawa?”

She looked up, startled, and Kokoa found herself frowning at her. She didn’t think Sawa had heard any of this conversation, which seemed impossible even if she had a lot to do before the wedding.

“Is this about Ikki again?”

Sawa grimaced. “I… Not in that way. I guess I thought about something Ikki told me, but I don’t know that he can be trusted, so it’s not worth mentioning. I need to go check on the roses. I’m still worried we won’t have enough for the ceremony. I know it’s tradition, but they could have made it a little easier for us...”

Mine frowned as she watched Sawa go. “She’s been really distracted all day today. Are we sure she’s not sick?”

Kokoa didn’t think mentioning the cause of Sawa’s condition was wise. Mine hadn’t paid enough attention to understand it was about Ikki, but the last thing they needed now was Mine getting jealous of how Ikki had kissed Sawa. Sawa didn’t think he was the least bit sincere about it, and knowing his reputation, Kokoa was afraid she was right, even if Kent had said that was all exaggerated. Then again, could she trust Kent, either?

Kent’s actions earlier… As often as they’d argued, he’d never been like that before, like he was doing it to hurt her, and she didn’t understand why he would when she’d admitted she cared about him. She was still so angry and frustrated. She hated this. She didn’t want to do this. How was she supposed to marry a man—even if it wasn’t for love and for the sake of her brother and her country—that she couldn’t even talk to?

She almost felt like crying again, but she refused to do that. She wouldn’t. Not over Kent.

Still… if he did get himself killed…

No. That wasn’t going to happen. She was going to find a way to talk Kent out of this plan of his because she wouldn’t let him die. She had to find _something,_ anything, that would prevent that. She knew she wasn’t as smart as him, but she had to try.

* * *

“I hate nobles.”

Waka looked over at Toma, rather amused by that statement. “You are a noble.”

Toma grimaced, shaking his head as he did. “It’s not the same. Not like that. I mean, the court’s full of pretentious bastards who parade around the castle and who fill the council, but that’s not me. It’s not Shin. We were never raised like that. Even Nhil wasn’t, and he’s the crown prince. This guy… he’s worse than all of the ones on the council and then some.”

Waka would not deny that. The way this particular foreign duke paraded his wealth and influence was offensive as well as excessive. The entire town felt his influence, and he’d situated his home inside the city’s boundaries on the top of a hill where he could look down upon them all and gloat. He had an even larger estate outside the town as well, and it could rival some castles.

It would also be an excellent place to hide their wayward prince since no one would dare go against the duke—at least not in the open—and no one other than this country’s king had the authority to make him submit to a search.

Waka knew it would take infiltration, but he did not like going in completely blind, and he had Toma’s participation to concern himself with as well. He needed more details of the estate’s layout and security before he made his move, and he either had to find a path that would allow Toma to follow him or enough of a distraction to keep him from following as well as from getting killed.

Not everyone recognized Toma as the princess’ cousin on sight, though it was a risk that someone would make that connection and betray it to others. Waka had not been too concerned before this town, but he had not known the true depth of the hold the duke had over this place at that time.

“This one does seem to believe he is some sort of king himself.”

“That or he wants to be,” Toma agreed, giving the town another glance. He was restless again, wanting to be active, and Waka would like to give him a task, but they were still forced to wait.

“Indeed.”

Toma looked at him. “You think he could have taken Nhil hostage or killed him on purpose? He wants power that badly?”

“At this point, I discount nothing. It will be difficult to accept that the prince is alive until I see him with my own eyes. It is also not impossible that he is alive and has no knowledge of his father’s death or even chose willingly not to return after learning of it.”

Toma shook his head. “I don’t think so. Nhil can be irresponsible sometimes, and he doesn’t always think things through, but he wouldn’t put Kokoa and Orion at risk like that.”

“Would he if he felt someone else would be better suited?” Waka had been considering this possibility as well. Nhil had been the one to fight for Kent’s appointment to the council, and he’d often said that Kent was a better leader than he was—far more knowledgeable and practical, always seeing more than just the immediate problem as Nhil did and sometimes fixed only to make something else worse.

“Nhil was raised to be king. Who would he think was better? Orion? He’s still a boy. And Kokoa can’t—she’d be a poor choice anyway because she cares too much.”

“And what of Kent?”

Toma snorted, catching the attention of passersby as he did. He grimaced and calmed himself. “Not likely.”

“You think him so unsuited?”

“For the country? No. He’d probably be one of the better choices as far as that goes, but aren’t you a master spy? The king of intelligence? You have to know how much Kokoa hates him.”

Their squabbles were public knowledge, that much was true, however, Nhil had always found them amusing and endearing over other more practical responses. He did seem to think that his sister had met her match, and he’d said so to Waka before, leaving him to question the prince’s sincerity… and a bit his sanity.

Still, she had chosen him for the regent, so it was not as unlikely as Toma assumed. The real question was whether or not Nhil would have put so much at risk to get his way as far as the succession went. Waka would rather not think the prince had been so foolish, but that just raised more issues and problems, including the possibility that Nhil was already dead.

Waka needed to get inside that estate. They had to know if this duke was in any way connected to Nhil’s disappearance.

* * *

“Ikki?”

He stopped, staring back at the woman who’d said his name. He hadn’t expected her to come seek him out, and if she was, this couldn’t be a good thing, could it? He didn’t think he wanted to hear what she was about to say.

“You are completely allowed to hate me forever,” he told her. “I have to see to some—”

“It’s true, isn’t it? What Sh—what he said about it being a bad plan? Not what you did. I mean Kent’s. He’s… he’s really trying to get himself killed?”

Ikki winced, pulling Sawa with him into the nearest room. He didn’t recognize this one as a public one, but that was for the best since they shouldn’t be overheard discussing this. Not that he wasn’t sure her guards had heard, and she’d very nearly slipped and said Shin’s name, which was another problem.

“Ken is not suicidal, if that’s what you're asking,” Ikki said after the door was shut behind them. “His plan does involve using himself as bait, which does seem suicidal, I admit, but it’s Ken. People know he’s a strategist and a damned good one, but they don’t see him as a capable fighter. They underestimate him. He’s luring them into a trap. Yes, yesterday didn’t go according to plan, but Ken won that fight easily enough. It was only the poison that was an issue, and not for that long.”

Sawa bit her lip. “Kokoa said he wouldn’t listen to her when she told him she didn’t want him risking his life.”

“Well, it’s true he’s not likely to believe she means it—at least not as anything more than her usual kindness towards anyone—and the more she tried to convince him otherwise, the more stubborn he’d get about it. He wouldn’t be happy to hear her say something he feels is a lie—that she cares about him—and he’s also not one bit likely to back down over this plan of his because he has seen it as the only way to avoid civil war since the king died.”

Sawa shook her head. “Kokoa wouldn’t lie about caring about him. We all saw it yesterday. She was… she wouldn’t even listen to us about the damage to her reputation… I’m starting to think Orion’s right, but if those two keep fighting, all of Kent’s plans will be for nothing because no one will believe that they’re getting married.”

“That’s true, and I will discuss it with him. I know he feels we don’t have much time for this, and he would try and keep her away since they will make another attempt before the wedding—”

“He was just injured. That’s insane.”

“It’s dangerous, but it’s a risk we have to take for the country,” Ikki corrected. “Believe me, I am no happier about it than you are. Ken is like a brother to me, and I don’t want him to die, but I also trust him. His plans saw us both through the war alive. I have to believe they’ll do the same now.”

“You do think for yourself, don’t you? You don’t always follow Kent blindly in everything, do you? You have to know that this—”

“I follow Ken because his plans make sense even when I hate them. Anyone after the regency or the princess has to stop Ken before the wedding. As soon as he has the authority of the regent, he will change the laws and make it impossible for this situation to happen again.”

“You mean—”

“Ken will change the laws so Kokoa can rule on her own if it comes to it. She’ll be queen in her own right, not just a pawn in a marriage scheme. He’s already got the law drafted to give her as much protection and authority as he can. He did it before she even asked him—it was his plan to give it to Shin or Toma depending on which of them she chose—and all it will take is a signature after the condition is met.”

Sawa nodded. “I… Yes. It does seem like he’s planned for that, but… what if he dies before the wedding?”

“It’s almost all arranged, isn’t it?” Ikki asked, and Sawa nodded, though she looked like she might be ill. Ikki forced a smile. “Then it’s pretty simple, I guess. Shin comes out of hiding and takes Ken’s place as regent.”

“What? She doesn’t even know that he’s alive, and even if she did, she wasn’t willing to do that before because she… she loves him like a brother, not a husband, and she wanted him to be free to marry someone he really loved. She won’t—”

“She’s accepted she has to marry to protect the kingdom. She’ll do what has to be done. That’s what makes her a princess.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ikki tries to make Kent agree to a plan that may be more crazy than brilliant, even trying to enlist Sawa's help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um, I know I said I thought I'd figured out what this story needed and how to keep making steady progress. That was not true. I only thought I did, and I ended up stuck for even longer. 
> 
> I guess what I really needed was a semi-awful vacation and hours stuck in the car while fighting a migraine, because... this happened, and I think it works.

* * *

“They seem unhappy again,” Ikki observed after the last of the council members had left and he was alone with Ken. He wasn’t sure he liked the way his friend was still seated after all that, but then Ken also had papers in front of him, so it might not be as bad as it seemed, just him working too much as usual.

“Doubtless they were displeased to see my survival. I am reasonably certain someone goaded Enishi into his foolish attack, though no one has been obvious about doing so. The same ones are openly hostile, but the others are quiet as usual. The players remain in the shadows.” Ken sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing at his nose, his fatigue even more obvious now.

Ikki nodded. Their enemies were cautious, so this lack of revelation wasn’t much of a surprise. They had been very careful so far not to betray too many hints outside their usual hatred for Ken. Nothing could be proven. Yet. “I did have another... chat with Enishi, but he still claims he acted alone and without provocation, and while it was satisfying watching him squirm when he heard you were still alive and at the council session, it didn’t help any. He wouldn’t admit he was prompted or who did it.”

Ken grimaced. “It may be that they will wait for the ceremony to show themselves.”

“That is true.” In Ikki’s mind, it was more likely they’d wait until they were that desperate to make their move. For Ken, it seemed easier if it came before then, but these treasonous bastards weren’t going to make it easy. “Stop looking so bothered by that. I’m not interested in seeing you hurt or dead before then. I want you to make it well past that day, and you should want it, too. It does seem like you have a very attentive bride now.”

Ken’s head jerked up and he glared hard at Ikki. “Stop it.”

This didn’t sound good. “Ken, her caring about you—”

“Stop it. Now.”

“It’s not a bad thing,” Ikki insisted, ignoring the warning in Ken’s voice. He should hear this, even if he didn’t want to, and if he held some hope of Kokoa returning his feelings, he’d be a lot less likely to calculate his survival as unnecessary. He’d be more cautious. He’d fight harder. He’d live. All of that mattered. “True, there’s still a bit of hope that we’ll find Nhil and he’ll be alive and able to rule, but it is just as likely that we won’t and the country will need a regent. You being able to have a marriage with affection and—”

“Ikkyu,” Ken rose with his word, making it clear he wasn’t happy or willing to let this continue. “I will hurt you if you continue to speak of such things.”

Ikki sighed. Ken was so damned stubborn all the time. “Look, denying things won’t help matters any. You aren’t the sort of man who ignores the facts, and facts in this case—”

“Silence,” Ken ordered with smack to Ikki’s arm that wasn’t the slightest bit gentle and could make a person forget Ken was stabbed and poisoned just yesterday. “I was not making idle threats. I have no patience for your teasing, and annoying me is unwise. I was just in a council session, after all.”

Ikki nodded, rubbing his sore shoulder. He had been warned, though he’d risked it anyway. “Fine. Just... Pull your punches a little next time. We’re not at war now.”

Ken glared at him again. “Ikkyu—”

“If you are determined to make sure they act before the wedding, we need a plan,” Ikki said, refusing to get hit again, since it wasn’t like Ken got violent often. He would be a pacifist if he wasn’t such a realist that understood how war had to be fought even if it wasn’t what he wanted. Ikki rarely pushed him this far. Someone else—a lot of someone elses—had already gotten him past that point. “So tell me how we force their hand. I have a thought, of course, but since you won’t let me speak—”

“That is inaccurate,” Ken said, sounding tired again and looking like he should sit back down. “It is certain subjects I object to, not you speaking at all. If you have such a theory—”

“Yes. I do. I believe you should kiss her in front of a lot of people,” Ikki began, but before he could explain any of his reasons why, was holding his shoulder again. “Ow!”

“That is the subject you were not to speak of, which I thought was quite clear.” Ken shook his head. “Warning you that I will use violence is still not an excuse to do so, but you seem unwilling to relent if I don’t, so I could argue it was logical. That… is wrong, and yet I am too tired and frustrated to work though it and assess it properly. I am even more annoyed with you for provoking me enough to where I am in this state, even if you were not the only one who did.”

Ikki grimaced, aware he wasn’t going to make this any better with what he was about to say. “It’s a good plan. My plan, I mean.”

Ken tensed but did not hit him this time. “You are impossible.”

“I am not. Listen to me before you hit me again. The whole basis for you being bait and getting engaged was to give them a target that would force them out of the shadows, but since that hasn't been enough, then I think we can safely say they don’t fear you being regent enough. So maybe it’s not the laws you’d make that bother them. Maybe we need to give them more of a reason to fear, and that... If you were to have your own heir—”

“What?”

“—Which that sort of thing can happen as soon as the wedding night, then that’s something they might actually fear, isn’t it? Yes, it assumes she’d survive past you, but since they need her for the regency, she’d be alive, so… Your child would survive _and_ would have the next claim to the throne if it’s a boy, so…”

Ken winced. “Ikkyu...”

“Were you really going to ignore that, too?”

“It was not supposed to be that kind of marriage.”

“Maybe not in private, but to the rest of the world, it has to been seen that way,” Ikki reminded him. “Why did you think I objected to this? You love her, so showing that to everyone should be easy, but you deny it and yet want more all the same. You _deserve_ more. You are the product of a love match. You know that is the best kind there is. Why would you want anything else?”

Kent shook his head. “This was necessary—”

“The hell it was.” Ikki knew there were others who could have been the regent. Shin and Toma were only two of the names that came up before, but Ken had held back the council instead of forcing the issue before, had helped her when he should have been the one to give her the reality of her situation and demand the decision months ago. “You could have left it to someone else if it was only about the regency. You tried to give her freedom, and when you couldn’t, you only had to wait for her to reach the obvious decision. It’s almost what you thought you wanted—whether you admit that or not—but it will never be enough unless you admit you love her and make it a true love match.”

“Stop being ridiculous,” Ken snapped. “I’m not capable of loving anyone. You should know that. Now leave before I do actually injure you.”

* * *

“I have a new plan.”

Sawa looked up from the fabric in her arms and frowned, not sure when Ikki had gotten so close to her, nor did she want to think about all she still had to do and how she did not have the time to hear this. She shouldn’t even have gone for the fabric, she had so many other things to do, but Mine was worried about finishing the dresses in time, so Sawa had gone instead, and now she was even later with the stuff she was supposed to see to on her own.

“Somehow, Ikki, I don't want to know.”

“Oh, come now. I’m not all that bad, am I?”

She swallowed. What did he honestly expect her to say to that? He had been the one to kiss her so she wouldn’t blurt out that Shin was alive, and that had been working so far, giving her plenty of reasons to be distracted if Kokoa noticed, but still... He’d kissed her. It was awkward at best between them, and this… this wasn’t best.

Ikki grimaced, as if remembering what he’d done and how difficult that made it for her. “Forget that. Just... Do you think you can convince the princess to kiss Ken?”

“What?”

“Two very important reasons this needs to happen—one, those two need to get over their denial and realize there is attraction there. Two, we may need to give the conspirators another reason to act and that... Well, plenty of them would feel threatened if it seemed like this was a love match and likely that they will have children of their own soon.”

Sawa blinked. That sounded even crazier than the mess she was now in. “I think that I understand now why Kent made all the plans during the war.”

“I’m insulted.” He did seem to be pouting, at least, and she swore he was very nearly flirting with her, though he should know better than that.

“You’re also insane,” she told him. “How is that a good plan? Why would you ever think it was?”

Ikki frowned, and she wanted to see what his answer would be, but he tensed instead, shifting the beads on the fabric in more than one direction, like perhaps he was trying to use them to see around the corner. She almost asked him about that instead, but then he startled her by pushing her back up against the wall, leaning in close like he _did_ intend to flirt. She squirmed, needing to free herself.

“Shh,” he whispered in her ear. “Someone is listening to us.”

“What?” She grimaced, feeling stupid. Why were they interested in what she had to say? She was just a servant, she knew she wasn’t that interesting, even serving the princess. Ikki... Well. She knew he had many reputations, not just as a dangerous man of war or a flirt, and he was Kent’s most trusted friend. Maybe they were here hoping to hear that plan? Had he said something careless and ruined everything? If they heard that this marriage wasn’t what it should be...

“All right, my love. I admit it. I was just looking for an excuse to get you alone. I made it all up so you would agree to kiss me in practice.”

Sawa stared at him again. That was how he was going to excuse what he said? “Ikki...”

“You could just say that you don’t need elaborate excuses to kiss me,” he teased, and she blinked him in disbelief, trying to convince herself he wouldn’t dare kiss her again. He certainly sounded like he would, and that look now… that was not the sort a man gave someone he wasn’t trying to seduce. She didn’t want to go through this again. Not that the last time had been terrible, but this was far more public, and if word did get around about her and Ikki, her reputation would suffer. She was not free to be in a relationship, not while the princess was still unmarried, and it wasn’t like she’d been given permission by the court, either. She could be dismissed for this, and she knew some noblewomen would do their best to see that happen.

“Not now,” she managed to say, pushing past him and starting away. She hurried around the corner, bumping right into a man as she did. She stopped, stumbling backward, finding herself staring at him now. What was a council member’s steward doing here? This one worked for Ogata, didn’t he?

“Mister Yan—”

She didn’t get to finish before he turned and left, running just as Ikki reached her. Would he later claim he was just in a hurry? What he had done was strange, not even letting her apologize.

“Hmm.”

She looked at Ikki. “You believe he’s involved in this? That his employer wants the regency?”

Ikki nodded. “I’m almost certain of it, given how he ran. That was a poor choice. I’d have tried to bluff it, but then he doesn’t have a good reason for being in this part of the castle no matter what. And it’s not like he’d be following us without a purpose. Neither of us is anything on our own. We matter for our connections. Damn it. He must have followed me from Ken’s room. Normally I’d have noticed, though.”

She would have thought so, given what she heard of Ikki in the war and the spy’s poor performance just now. “Is he that good?”

Ikki shook his head. “No, I… It was my mistake.”

* * *

“I have an idea.”

Kokoa sighed, and Orion had a feeling he should stop Mine, but he didn’t know how. She talked so much, and it was almost impossible for anyone to get a word in, even for a prince or princess. Neesan managed it more than he did, and when he did do something, he tended to get scolded. Well, it was also kind of hard to say nice things to her, too.

“Mine, I don't think I can take another discussion about the dress. No more changes, just what it is now. The only thing I’d want to change is the train—”

“Kiss him. Kent, I mean. You should just kiss him.”

“What?” Orion thought he was louder than his sister on that one, though Neesan seemed just as startled. “Why would she do that?”

“To see if she liked it, of course,” Mine said like Orion was an idiot. She was the idiot here, though. “Kent’s going to be her husband, so she needs to find out if he’s good at kissing or not.”

Neesan grimaced. “Mine...”

How many times did Mine have to be told that wasn’t why his sister was marrying Kent? Not that Orion didn’t think she hated Kent as much as everyone else did, he did think she liked him even as much as she fought with him, but still, it wasn’t that kind of marriage. That was what everyone said, didn’t they?

“Come on,” Mine went on. “What if you wait until the ceremony and find out then it’s awful? It would be so bad if you did. Everyone would know. They’d see. So you have to do it before, and since you thought he didn’t see the value in his life, this should help.”

Orion frowned. “Why would that help? You are so weird. And dumb. Why is it all you think about is guys and kissing? Ew.”

Kokoa laughed, ruffling his hair. “Orion, someday you may find yourself someone you really want to kiss, and then you’ll think differently about kissing.”

He frowned at her. “Do you want to kiss Kent?”

She flushed. Oh, she was so very red right now. “I...”

Mine clapped her hands, excited and almost bouncing. “Ah ha, I knew it. You’ve thought about it.”

“Well, yes,” Neesan agreed with reluctance. “It’s... because of the situation. We are getting married. It... It’s expected.”

“But you _want_ to do it,” Mine insisted, grinning. “He _is_ handsome, after all. He isn’t Ikki, but... Hmm… he’s very tall and in that uniform...”

Neesan frowned, folding her arms over her chest in annoyance. “Mine, stop fantasizing about Kent.”

The other woman smirked. “Are you jealous?”

“I... Whether I am or not… that doesn’t matter. What you’re doing is inappropriate. He’s engaged to be married.”

Mine just smiled. “He's not married yet.”

Neesan glared at her, and Orion did think Mine was right, much as he didn’t want to admit it. She shouldn’t be right about anything, but his sister was really angry for someone who wasn’t jealous. “Are you doing this to provoke me?”

“No, I’m just—”

“For the last time, don’t talk about Kent like that.”

“Like what?”

“Kent?” Neesan’s voice came out as a squeak as she turned to face him in the open doorway to her outer chamber. Orion supposed none of them had heard him knock, or maybe one of the other maids let him in, but that was still a surprise.

Apparently it was for him, too. He seemed very uncomfortable. “No one was in the other room, so I… I was told they sent my meal here so I could eat with my bride. I suspect this was Ikkyu’s doing, but I don’t intend to stay, nor did I mean to interrupt.”

“Oh, you don’t have to go.” Kokoa rushed over to him, not willing to let him leave. “I’m grateful for the interruption, truly I am, and I wanted to see how you were anyway and I probably would have gone back to check on you soon enough, so it’s good you’re here.”

He frowned at her like she was talking crazy, which Orion knew went back to her always acting like she hated him before, since Kent didn’t know what to do with her kindness.

“I am not staying,” Kent repeated. He looked back to the other room. “Did you request this food?”

Neesan shook her head. “No, I wasn’t particularly hungry, and if Orion had asked for it, there would be many more sweets here.”

“Hey!”

Kent ignored him. “Don't eat any of it.”

“What?”

“It may be fine, though it is also possible it is a trap, and it would be best to be cautious considering that they intended it for me.” Kent put a hand on his arm where he’d been stabbed, making it clear he was thinking it was poisoned, which was scary. Would someone actually dare do that? Would they try and kill Neesan, too? He knew they’d killed Shin and Toma, but didn’t they need her? Kent was in the way, but she was necessary, wasn’t she?

She winced. “Kent...”

“Again, it may be nothing, and I may be paranoid, but I… I think it best you not risk it. Now, excuse me. I should return to my room.”

“I’ll walk with you,” Neesan said in her command voice. She was the princess giving an order that wasn’t to be questioned, even as she spoke with concern. “You seem tired and... Mine, go to the kitchen and have them make something new. Don’t tell them who it is for, but keep it simple since Kent was poisoned yesterday. Bring it to his room for him.”

Mine nodded, rushing off to do what she was told without protest this time.

“This is not necessary, either. I don’t—”

“Kent, it’s necessary. You need food, even if you think they’ll try and kill you before then, and I don’t want that. I… I want to make sure you eat and rest. You really do look tired. Not just the tired you get when the council is being stupid, but the tired you get when you’ve been up for days in a crisis. You need to rest.”

“The what? How would you know what I look like when—”

“I’ve been at the meetings when the flooding was bad or the bandits were out of control, and I’ve seen you often since my father died. I’m not a fool. You are… you are too important. This country couldn’t manage without you, and you put so much effort into making it work smoothly in spite of everything. You’re so exhausted all the time, but you keep working for all of us.”

Kent was the one who looked red now. “You exaggerate. I am only doing what is necessary.”

He turned to leave, but she caught him, wrapping her arm around his and leaving with him. Orion hesitated for a moment and then chose to follow them.

* * *

“I’d like to take a look at your wound, too.”

Kent frowned, looking over at Kokoa before shaking his head. He was tired enough that prying free of her seemed like too much work, but he knew that if he did not, she would stay by his side even into the night. That could not happen. “No.”

“I know you haven’t had anyone check it since this morning. It needs to be tended. You have to understand that, being a logical person. You can’t afford to fight in a weakened state, even if you are using yourself as bait, and that means making sure that wound doesn’t fester. You don’t need another fever from an infection.”

“I am aware of that, yes, but that does not require your presence or that of your brother,” Kent told her, and she glanced over at Orion who tried to hide behind one of the guards. She shook her head and faced him again, but he did not wish her to speak. “I am capable of reaching my room alone, and I will eat what your lady-in-waiting brings so long as it is not disgustingly inedible, so you need not fret over that, either. I do intend to rest as soon as I return to my room.”

“I… Maybe so, but I am still worried, so… please.”

He grimaced, but it was impossible to refuse such a request. Her voice, that look on her face… He could not help but acquiesce, even if he knew better. The attack had not come during the day, and he had managed to thwart the possible attempt that had been made to poison him, which meant that someone would come in the night. Even now, they could be lying in wait in his room. Taking her there was a mistake, and he knew it. He could not allow her to be harmed.

“I am aware of my limitations. This is not as it was during the war, and I managed. Please stop troubling yourself about it.”

“Yes, but this isn’t war,” she said. “You shouldn’t have to worry about death constantly, shouldn’t have to prepare for people trying to kill you, shouldn’t have to be recovering for poison. You and Ikki both say it’s not just because of me, but I did put you in a position where—”

“I chose all the positions I am in now,” Kent said. He could have turned down being on the council, and he could have told her no when she asked him. “Do not blame yourself for my decisions. I made them with full knowledge of the facts and the situation. I have no regrets, though I would prefer it if you returned to your own room now.”

She frowned. “We’re not far from your room. I said I was walking you back to it, and I am. The guards will see me safely back to mine. It’s fine.”

It was not, but then he did not want to tell her that and make this worse. She would not leave if she knew what he believed waited for him. He stopped outside the door, tensing at a familiar scent. “Blood.”

“What?”

Kent turned to the guards. “Keep her and the prince out of this room. Wait here.”

“Kent, don’t you think you should let—”

“No.” He opened the door and stepped inside, sliding his knife into his hand as he did, though it didn’t seem that he would need it. This man before him had been dead for some time already.


	15. Chapter 15

* * *

“So,” Ikki said, leaning against the wall and eying his prisoner with a bit of impatience, “are we going to have a nice chat, or are you going to force me to bring out the instruments of torture? Because I can. I don’t like doing it. I truly don’t. You think I’m joking, but it’s so messy and then I ruin clothes as well as the room because the stains just never come out and the smell—”

“You’re an idiot, and you don’t fool anyone.”

“Oh? And what, do tell me, what is the most common digit between one and a thousand?”

“What?”

“It’s actually not that hard. Do I need to ask you how many apples a child has if he gives half of them to his friend? Because I could, too, but I’m afraid you’d just embarrass yourself more.” Ikki shook his head. “This is so pathetic. Look, let’s stop wasting each other’s time. I mean, I suppose you want that because you’ll be executed for treason when this is all said and done, but I have to say, it’s kind of boring for me, and I could just go to the execution part—”

“What? I didn’t even do anything.”

“Oh, but you did,” Ikki said. “I know you were spying on me. You were painfully obvious, you know. You should have tried to bluff, but instead, you ran. And that was just so suspicious I knew you were up to no good.”

“Maybe I just wanted to see what you were doing.”

Ikki laughed. “Oh, and is it me or my supposed ‘prowess’ that makes you curious? Were you hoping to glimpse the lady or something else? Either way, I’m not that forgiving. I think I’d rather just kill you. I mean, doing that to the ladies… I can’t abide a man who doesn’t treat a woman properly.”

“And you do?”

“Haven’t you heard? I never leave a lady wanting.” Ikki smiled, though he’d be lying if he said he liked the exaggerated tales of his relations with women. He just wanted one, one beautiful heart who loved him as much as he loved her, one who was true and faithful and not after some illusion of him but the real him. He didn’t like knowing that his reputation had chased most decent women away and left him with only those who wished to use him for sex.

He liked sex, but he didn’t like being used.

“You’re disgusting.”

“I think I’m still better than an odious toad who’d spy on people for a master who wants to destroy the kingdom.”

“Lord Ogata would be a fine king.”

“And there you have it—proof you were working for him,” Ikki said, and the other man’s eyes got wide. “Yes, you gave it away. Now, shall we discuss your lord’s misdeeds? I might be willing to grant a bit of leniency if you cooperate, but you will have to make it good. Your skills aren’t very impressive, and if you were a part of a plot to kill Ken… Well, let’s just say my idea of leniency there is a quick death. So… have you decided what you’re going to do? Be loyal to the end to a man who will likely try and claim you were working on your own and are just an idiot or are you going to try and live by telling me all you know?”

* * *

“I guess he didn’t figure anyone would be in your room,” Shin said, and Kent nodded, his eyes moving finally from the body to where Shin sat. He didn’t bother waving off any concern. He was fine. He’d won. He was alive. The man on the floor wasn’t.

“I assumed that if someone was in my room, it was an assassin. I suppose that’s still possible.”

Shin grunted. “If you hurt her—”

“I am aware of what you will do. Or at least _attempt_ to do,” Kent said, his eyes returning to the body like he might even kick it with his foot. Shin noted the blade in his hand and wondered how he’d missed just how damned capable Kent was. Sure, there were stories about him and the war, but more than once now, Kent’s fighting instincts had surprised Shin. It shouldn’t, and it irritated him that it did. “As it would seem someone tried to arrange to poison me when I ate with the princess, I believe they are the ones you should be worried about.”

“Damn it. They didn’t just go after you. They… I’ll make them pay for thinking of hurting her.”

“If you wish. And likely they were hoping to catch Orion as well, since he often eats with his sister.”

Now Shin was even angrier than before. “The hell.”

“We are talking about people who intend to seize control of the country by any means necessary. We descend into civil war if she dies or Orion does. That is what some want, and those who have no hope of getting her to marry them are likely feeling desperate. I did not realize that was the case with this one.”

“You know this rat?”

“Not personally, but I have seen him attending to Yasuakira in the past. I believe he is the head of the man’s personal guard. He’s often in the shadows during the council meetings. Yasuakira must have been desperate to send him.”

“Well, given that Enishi failed, he probably wanted someone who could actually fight,” Shin said, wincing again since the bastard had put up a hell of one, and he was aching and likely bleeding from old wounds now. “By the way, you’re still an idiot. This plan is stupid. You could have died. Again. And you don’t look like you’re in any shape to fight.”

“Perhaps, but I believe I’m more capable of it now than you are. You weren’t even able to remove the body.”

“He’s a heavy bastard, but I was getting to it.”

Kent snorted, shaking his head. “Leave him. I will deal with this, but you must go. Your cousin is outside the door, and I do not know how long the guards will keep her back.”

“Damn it,” Shin muttered. “You brought her here? What is wrong with you?”

“I tried to leave her. She refused. It was barely enough she stayed out of the room, but you have already lingered too long. We should not discuss this now. You need treatment—”

“I’m fine,” Shin said, forcing himself up and toward Kent’s window. Everything hurt, and he couldn’t move as fast as he liked, but he wasn’t about to face Kokoa like this. He’d scare the hell out of her, covered in someone else’s blood and coming back from the dead.

He climbed up and out onto the ledge, stopping there to rest as the door burst open and the others rushed inside.

* * *

“Kent, are you—Oh. I… He’s...”

Kent pulled her close, stepping in front of the body and blocking her sight of it—and she hoped, Orion’s—as he did. “Yes, he is dead. That is undeniable. I believe you could also say it was necessary. I am uninjured. You do not need to tremble so much. It is over. There is nothing to fear.”

She shook her head. He really didn’t understand anything, did he? Someone had tried to kill him three times now, almost all in the same day, and she couldn’t forget that, couldn’t ignore it. She clung to him, aware of Orion holding her other side, and she wasn’t sure if he was as scared as she was or just trying to comfort her.

“I thought we’d get the door open and find you dead. I… I can’t… I told you already I don’t want to lose you. How can you stand here like this was nothing?”

“It… I told you. I am uninjured. This is not the crisis you think it is. He was dispatched without any effort from me, and I am not—I did expect someone to be here, which I was also prepared for, and it is nothing. The outcome wasn’t certain, but it had a high probability of success and survival, and it is what happened. It truly is nothing. Well, it is a life, and I suppose that is regrettable, but when one is defending oneself, some allowances are possible and—”

“No!” Kokoa was beyond frustrated now, aware she’d already started crying and wanting them to be angry tears as much as she was sure they weren’t. She was so damned scared, and she hated it. “It is not nothing! You are _not_ allowed to die on me. You can’t. I can’t lose you, and I can’t stand knowing that you’re being threatened like this. We were just talking, but someone was in here waiting to kill you and I… I don’t want to let you out of my sight. I don’t think I trust that you’ll be alive in the morning, and I’m terrified by thoughts of what I’d do without you and… That is not happening. I won’t let it. You… you can’t do this to me again.”

Kent sighed, and she felt his hand on her head as she trembled against him, still furious and scared. Why couldn’t he understand this? Why didn’t he see it?

“Remove the body,” Kent ordered, speaking to the guards this time. “One of you find Ikkyu and inform him of what happened. Gather the appropriate number and go arrest Lord Yasuakira.”

Kokoa gasped, looking up at Kent in shock. “Wh… What? Lord Yasuakira?”

“This man worked for him. At the very least we have questions, but very likely we have our conspirator.” Kent gave her a smile. “You see? It is very nearly over. This is… what we needed.”

She shuddered. “What if he’d killed you? Are you sure he’s the one who tried to poison the food? How can you be so calm about this? I… That’s it. I am not letting you go. You… you… you’re not safe. And I… I need you safe.”

Kent tensed. “I… You are overreacting. Damn it, why did they all leave? Someone needs to take you back to your room.”

“No. I am staying right here.”

* * *

“Commander?”

Ikki looked over at the guard, frowning as he finished wiping off his hands. That had not been pleasant, and he really hated when they soiled themselves. That was disgusting, and somehow it always seemed like Ikki had to move them afterward when he’d rather not touch them with a pole.

“What is it? Oh, no, first, go and arrest Lord Ogata. I need to have a long talk with him now, too. So much for sleep.”

The guard nodded, and Ikki had a bad feeling about this. Somehow it was worse than he’d realized. “Sub-Commander Mizutani asked for you.”

Damn. It was bad. “What happened?”

“There was another assassination attempt. The assassin is dead, and the sub-commander is uninjured, but the princess was very shaken to learn of it, and he couldn’t leave her even though he sent us to arrest Lord Yasuakira.”

Ikki blinked. “Yasuakira, too? Both of them made a move tonight? Damn, but… at the same time… Fine. Get Ogata and Yasuakira. Lock them in somewhere dark and disgusting while I talk to Ken. It’ll get them ready for the conversations we need to have.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ikki left the guard and hurried through the halls. He knew that man said Ken was uninjured, but he wouldn’t be sure of that until he saw Ken for himself, and damn it, the princess had almost gotten caught up in this? He’d thought they weren’t desperate enough to make a move, but now two of them had in one day.

He pushed past the guards in front of Ken’s door and stepped inside to find Ken standing there with the princess _and_ the prince clinging to him. His expression seemed to flicker between frustration and confusion, like he had no idea what to do with these people holding onto him.

“Ken,” Ikki said as he got closer, trying not to let the blood on the floor get to him. “Yasuakira? You’re sure?”

Ken nodded. “His head guard was the one who died here tonight. I assume he’ll try and claim the man was working without his knowledge, but I do not believe that. The only question is whether or not Yasuakira is the end of it.”

“Well, since I just got done getting some answers from Ogata’s idiotic steward, I’d say it’s not.” Ikki saw Ken frowned. “Yeah, I caught the guy spying on me earlier, and after my usual persuasion, I got him to admit Ogata made him do it, so… I gave orders to arrest them both.”

Ken nodded. “Well, that confirms our suspicions about both of them.”

“Wait, so you knew about them?” Orion asked, lifting his head from his sister’s skirt. “You knew it was Ogata and Yasuakira?”

“I suspected. Both of them disliked my authority, refused to be told how to manage their lands, and seemed eager for more power. I could not prove that they were after the regency. They had not taken any action directly. Even now they have not, it is simply that they used people we knew were connected to them. Stop frowning so much. While it is true that there was some… danger tonight, having discovered two culprits may well be the end of it.”

“You mean, it’s over? It’s really over?”

“There were three,” Kokoa said before Ken could answer. Orion frowned at her. “Three culprits, not two. Enishi, Ogata, and Yasuakira. That’s...”

“An excessive amount, but everyone was looking to take advantage of the situation. Your brother's absence created a vacancy in power, and everyone wished to possess it. Some could make that attempt overtly, but others had to do so through less honorable methods. That is all this was, and it is accomplished. Now it is time for you two to go and rest while Ikkyu and I deal with these traitors.”

“I think I have a right to confront them, too,” Kokoa said, and Ikki didn’t know if he wanted to applaud her or grimace. She was complicating the hell out of this for them, and who knew what those men might say in front of her, but he could already tell that he needed to talk to Ken alone.

After all, Ken didn’t seem to have any blood on him, but with the amount that was on the floor and the spray that had hit some of the furniture, there should have been some.

“After we have secured them, perhaps,” Kent said, his fatigue obvious. “Go ahead and eat whatever Mine brings you should she ever get here. Ikkyu and I must see to this.”

“Kent,” Kokoa tightened her hold on him. “Stop pushing me away when I’m telling you I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want you out of my sight. How many times must I say it? I can’t… I know this is something you must do, but it affects me, too, and I am a princess and I am not leaving you.”

Ken grimaced. “You are being reckless. I… Let go of me for a second so I can discuss a few things with Ikkyu. I won’t leave the room, you can see me, but what I need to ask him is not for your ears no matter what your title.”

Kokoa nodded, reluctant, but somehow those two must have learned a bit of compromise because she didn’t fight him, standing with her brother and still looking worried as Ken went to the window. Ikki followed him, noting the blood.

“The cousin?”

Ken nodded. “I will need you to see to that angle since I am not at liberty to do so.”

“Of course.” Ikki knew they couldn’t afford to let Shin die now, and while he hoped all of that blood was the assassin’s, he knew it was just as likely it was Shin’s. The other man had been injured before, nearly died, and he wasn’t fully healed yet. “I’ll do that while you get started with the others.”

Ken nodded.

“And if I might point out—”

“Not a damned word, Ikkyu.”

“Oh, but Ken, I think I just saw something—ouch.”

* * *

“You sure you want to do this alone?”

Waka almost laughed. He preferred it, actually, and in Toma’s current state, he was more of a hindrance than a help. He was here because Kent asked Waka to take him, giving him several logical reasons why it was better if Toma was far from court while his plan played out its course, none of which Waka could argue with and most he was already aware of anyway. Still, he’d been able to cover the extent of their southern neighbor in far less time, and he knew that he would be more likely to survive what he was about to do if Toma was not present.

“Yes.”

Toma grimaced. “You could be a little less blunt about how useless you think I am.”

Waka resisted the urge to laugh. “Being aware of one’s limitations is almost always for the best. Sometimes one can overcome them, but they are limits for a reason, usually a good one. Breaking a limit only to kill oneself is of use to no one.”

Toma nodded, taking Waka’s point. “Fine. Still, I don’t like sitting back and doing nothing.”

“Your presence here serves many purposes.” Waka saw Toma frown and added, “If I do not return, you must go back to court, tell Kent of this situation, and get Ikki to mobilize the troops.”

“You’re that certain Nhil is here?”

Waka did laugh then. “No. I am not gifted with any ability beyond normal to see that, but if there is someone here that can kill me, this noble will feel he is strong enough to attempt another invasion. It will be better to be prepared, though I suspect they both already are.”

“You think Kent and Ikki expect war?”

Waka nodded. “The country is already on the cusp of a civil war. It is possible if the princess married and a regent was established, it could stabilize, but it will not be simple even if that happens. And before you ask me why I am here and not there, I will remind you—finding Nhil alive is still the best outcome for everyone. If we do not find him alive, we may well end up at war again even if the political situation at court is stable.”

“Do you honestly believe Nhil is still alive?”

Waka hesitated. That was not a question he wanted to answer. His task was to find the prince, and while it was better if he was alive, Waka was not so foolish as to think this would have a simple and happy ending. Nhil should have heard of his father’s death by now, and even if he didn’t want to be king, he had to know the position he was putting his younger siblings in, and Waka did not believe, as lighthearted as Nhil could be, that he would be so completely irresponsible as to leave them both in such danger.

No, it was most likely Nhil was dead. It fell to Waka, then, to confirm that fact.

He felt certain he would do so tonight.

“I should go.”

“Waka?”

He turned back to look at Toma. “What?”

“Be careful.”

A bit amused by the other man’s concern, Waka nodded and left the room.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kent and Ikki interrogate a prisoner. Waka does some exploring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took some time to get a version of the interrogation that I liked. I tried right after completing the last chapter and hated what I did write, so I put it aside to brainstorm, but I remained stuck, got sick again off and on, and still didn't know how to fix the interrogation until my insomnia got me, bouncing between a bunch of stories and finally giving me a way to write the scene.
> 
> It was easier to do than Waka's, though. Waka is... difficult when there is only him around. :P

* * *

“Does Kent really think it’s over now?” Shin asked, almost falling back inside the window into Kent’s bedroom. He didn’t want to do it, but better falling in here than off the damned castle. He wasn’t looking to die tonight. He didn’t plan on dying any time soon, unlike Kent, who had to have a death wish using a plan this dumb.

Ikki shook his head. “No. Even if we have a reason to arrest the two council members now, that doesn’t mean it’s over. He told the princess that to pacify her, so she’d stop clinging to him—Ken doesn’t like when people cling, I should know—but he told me before there was no good way to be sure it ended with any of our more ‘obvious’ suspects.”

Shin grunted. “Idiot.”

“Says the one covered in blood and barely breathing. What are you trying to prove, anyway? Do you really wish to know what death is?”

“He attacked me. I defended myself.”

“You came back to Ken’s room knowing full well that his strategy was to make himself a target.”

“So?” Shin shrugged. “If he was going to get himself killed, someone should have been watching over him. You weren’t here. I was. That’s all.”

“Oh, listen to you. You do care. I can hardly believe it,” Ikki said, and Shin wanted to smack him. If he didn’t already hurt as much as he did, he would have. “It’s sweet, really, but Ken can handle himself better than you realize. Definitely better than you at the moment. I don’t even know how we’re going to get the healer here for you.”

Shin was about to tell him to forget it when the door opened and Sawa came in. Ikki looked back and frowned, rushing over to pull her all the way in and shut the door behind her.

“Why did the guards let you through?”

“I don’t know. The tray?” Sawa grimaced. “Mine was supposed to bring Kent food, after all, since he stopped Kokoa from eating in her room because he thought it might be poisoned and she ended up giving the tray to me on her way to—Shin’s here. And there’s blood. And...”

“Easy,” Ikki said, taking the tray from her and propping her up with an arm around her waist. “Don’t faint now.”

“Don’t be stupid, Ikki.”

“I’m fine,” Sawa said, pushing away from him. “I… Shin, is this… your blood?”

“Not all of it.” He saw her look and grimaced. “No. The other guy died, and he was lying there for a while before Kent showed up and had them take the body away. That’s all it is. It’s not as bad as it looks.”

“Shin, on the other hand, is as bad as he looks,” Ikki muttered, and Shin glared at him. Ikki ignored it as he took the tray to Kent’s desk and set it down. “Though this is possibly a good thing. Not that you’ll think so, lovely Sawa, but please tend to that idiot’s wounds. I have to make sure both those council members got arrested, and then there’s the interrogation, and I sincerely doubt Ken’s managed to talk Kokoa out of being with him for that, which… complicates things, to say the least.”

Sawa winced. “Interrogation… means torture, right? Why would she want to see that?”

“She won’t let go of Kent,” Shin grumbled. “And it’s not like anyone ever told _her_ that’s what it means. Nhil and Toma coddled the hell out of her growing up. The king didn’t want her to do anything more than stand there and look pretty, and those idiots helped with that. A lot.”

“Oh, like you were that much better,” Sawa said, shaking her head as Ikki laughed. “It’s not that funny. Shin might have done his overprotective thing from the shadows most of the time, not letting her know he was doing it, but he kept her from knowing about things just as much as Toma and Nhil did. Even when she was arguing with Kent all the time, he let her have more of an understanding of the government and the situation in the kingdom than anyone else had before.”

Shin turned his glare on her. He didn’t care what Sawa thought of him. She was just as bad as Mine, changing the facts so it seemed more romantic, this thing with Kent and Kokoa.

“Well, as much as that is a good thing, it’s not important just now. What is important is making sure that idiot doesn’t die and me getting back to Ken, so will you deal with him for me, please?”

Sawa nodded. “Yes. I can do that.”

“Good. Lock the door, but if Mine comes along, send her to get Orion. He shouldn’t see that, either.”

* * *

“When we enter this room, both of you must stay back and not go near the prisoner. Remain with the guards by the door, or you will be escorted out. He will be secured, but that is no guarantee of safety, and most of the ones I have dealt with chose to spit at me when I was close. This is not something I recommend as an experience.” Kent wondered if it was possible to deter Kokoa by continuing on in this manner. He did not want her present for this. Interrogation was never a clean act but instead one full of lies, pain, and blood. The law had very little leniency in it for traitors, execution was one of few outcomes for them, and while Kent had never been fully convinced of the justice of that outcome, it was still expected by most others in the guard and army. Ikkyu knew many ways to talk his way out of the actual torture, and Kent sometimes managed it by looks alone—his height and his glare were things Ikkyu insisted were legendary, making Kent seem worse than he was when people found themselves in this position of opposition.

“Yes, Kent.”

Kokoa’s subservient tone was unnerving. She still seemed shaken, and she’d immediately latched back on to him as soon as his conversation with Ikkyu was done. Kent did not know what to think of this, even if Ikkyu found it amusing.

“He is likely to be uncooperative. And I… will be harsher than usual. This is… It would be best if you were not present.”

“I don’t even want to argue with you about this again,” she said, lowering her head. Taking another breath and letting it out, she faced him. “I am not leaving you. Is that clear?”

“It’s foolish,” he said, frustration getting the better of him. He knew she should not be here, and he didn’t understand why she felt the need to be so close to him. She hadn’t stopped touching him since he returned to her side after setting Ikkyu on the task of aiding Shin.

“Maybe, but I am not going to change my mind,” she said, and he recognized that stubborn expression of hers. There truly was no arguing with her now.

He heard footsteps running up to them and pulled her back behind him, aware of the guards moving around to protect them, only relaxing when Ikkyu came into sight. Kent frowned. It was too soon for him to be done with Shin.

“Ah, you didn’t start without me. That’s good.”

“Ikkyu—”

“Don’t fret. I delegated a few things to Sawa, that’s all. She is very capable, after all.”

She did know about Shin, at least. Kent did not like it, but at least with Ikkyu present, it would be easier to attempt this act without bloodshed. He was better at that part, talking people into confessing rather than using outright physical violence.

Ikkyu opened the door. “After you, princess.”

“Not funny,” Orion muttered, annoyed. Kent shook his head. They needed to send the child away, too, but Kent would have sent him to Sawa, who was busy with Shin, making such a step impossible.

“Just for that, when Mine comes, you’re going with her,” Ikkyu said, and Orion frowned at him. Ikkyu grinned as he stepped inside the room. “Ah, Ogata. I am glad we got to start with you. I have a bet with Ken. I’m thinking you’ll wet yourself within five minutes, but he seems to think you will start sputtering and choking on spittle first. Should be interesting either way.”

“You bet on that sort of thing?”

“I told both of you that you did not wish to be present for this,” Kent said, not looking at the prince as he walked over to where Ogata was chained. “It would seem you were quite foolish.”

“Oh, please. I didn’t do anything.”

“No, that was just your little assistant,” Ikkyu agreed. Ogata looked at him. “Oh, did you not realize he messed up? And messed himself, actually. Disgusting, but then he didn’t even know what the most common digit is between one and one thousand.”

“One,” Kokoa said, rather surprising Kent. “Um… isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Kent didn’t look at her, either, keeping his gaze focused on Ogata, who was now squirming against his bonds. “You needn’t bother trying to tell us he was acting of his own accord. He’s not that intelligent.”

“Bah. Like I’d use my own man for something like that. I didn’t do anything.”

Kent folded his arms over his chest. “Who, exactly, do you think you will fool with statements like that? The princess? True, she is kind-natured. Good, even, I suppose. The same is not and never has been said about me.”

“You don’t scare me.”

“He should,” Ikkyu said, and Ogata laughed. “Oh, you won’t do that again, I’m sure. See, Ken really has been lenient with you on the council, but that was in peace time. I went through war with him. I know better.”

Ogata shook his head. “You won’t frighten me.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Ken’s mind alone should scare you, honestly. And if you figure in him being the last one left of the Clover Order, that’s another good reason, but since you’re stupid… Surely you’ve heard of a certain battle. _Reddokuroba,_ they call it. You know why, right? I mean, you are looking right at him.”

Ogata swallowed as he faced Kent. “That’s just an exaggeration.”

Kent shook his head. “It is not. True, some facts have been misconstrued. There was no legion that rose from the dead and marched over their own corpses to battle in revenge. That is mere legend. What did happen was far less… poetic. The wounded and dying did return to battle, ordered on by a heartless commander who won the day by sending every last soldier he had until their greater numbers were expended. That commander was me. I am the red clover, stained so with the blood of all our armies that fell that day.”

Ogata started to sputter. “That’s… that’s just… it’s… a story.”

“For you, perhaps.” Kent took another step closer to Ogata. “They were either going to die slowly on that field or they could fight until they were dead, and I made certain those who were not already dead fought. There was no mercy for either side that day, just as there is none for you now.”

“You don’t have the authority.”

“Perhaps not yet, but in a few day’s time? I will. I need only delay your execution until then.”

“You can’t.” Ogata looked around him. “She won’t let you.”

Kent leaned into the other man’s space, making him back until he bumped the wall, rattling his chains. “She has no authority, which you know well. As soon as I marry her, it is mine, and the punishment for your crimes is death. Though it is more practical and expedient to make it a quick one, I find that is one area where my own logical nature does not seem to matter. You will suffer.”

“That’s not...”

“If I find you were a part of trying to poison her food tonight, I will make sure it lasts for a very long time,” Kent said, though it was a lie. Most of the methods he knew of torture did not leave anyone alive for very long. “Now… do you have anything to confess that might be of interest to me, or should I simply start making those arrangements?”

* * *

“Kent?”

He didn’t look over at Orion, taking off his glasses and cleaning them on his cape. “What?”

“Has anyone ever told you that… you’re scary?”

Kent laughed, which was worse, really, because he didn’t sound like someone who thought that was funny or was going to admit it was all a lie or a joke. Even Ikki didn’t seem to think it was funny. This was really bad, wasn’t it?

Orion turned to Neesan. Maybe she shouldn’t have chosen Kent after all. “Um...”

She winced. “Kent...”

“Have you heard enough yet?” Kent demanded, his look toward her as harsh as the one he’d used on Ogata earlier. That man was back in his cell crying, trying to claim he had nothing to do with any attempt on Kent or Neesan, but no one believed him even as pathetic as he was. “Seen enough? There is nothing to be gained by watching the next. This was… relatively easy compared to what I expect from Yasuakira. That will likely take much more than words to accomplish.”

Neesan pulled Orion close and wrapped her arms around him. “No one ever spoke of how the war was, not to me. We heard stories of the glory and the victories, but they… they weren’t anything like what you knew.”

“That is true. Most of the… unsavory parts of the war have been forgotten and obscured,” Kent said, and Ikki nodded, just as grim. “That changes nothing. I want you to go back to your rooms now. This is no place for—”

“A girl?” Orion finished, frowning. That wasn’t right. “Even if you say a princess—”

“For someone with a heart.”

Neesan flinched. “Kent, that’s...”

“Don’t bother.” Kent turned and waved to the guard, who looked very uncomfortable as he came over to them, and he hadn’t even heard Kent in there. “Take the prince back to his room now. I suggest you go with him, Kokoa. I will not let you in the next room.”

She put her hand on Orion’s head, and he could feel it shaking as she did. “Go with them, Orion.”

“Neesan—”

“I was trying to find the right words, but there aren’t right words,” she said as she took a step toward Kent. She reached out and took the hand that had his glasses, swallowing. “I had no idea what the war was like for you. I… I’m sorry.”

“What?”

Kent shook his head. “What I said was not meant to inspire pity.”

“I… That’s… Don’t make this harder. You went through awful things in that war, and no one knows or cares—well, no, we care, it’s just—you come, every day, and you deal with the worst of the nobles trying to make things decent for the people of this kingdom, and people just expect you to do it perfectly. They don’t give you any kind of credit for what you’ve been through.”

“I do not do what I do to be acknowledged. Now please go with your brother. It is already late.”

Orion was a bit relieved they wanted him to go. He regretted staying for the first one, but he didn’t think Neesan should stay for this, either. Still, she didn’t look like she had any intention of leaving Kent. Again. How was that even possible after what he’d said before?

“You have such a heavy burden,” Neesan said, reaching up to touch Kent’s face. “I should never have added to it.”

“I… This is… Just go back to your room, please. I still have much to do, and it would truly be better if you were not present for it.”

“I think Kent’s right. We should go.”

She gave Orion a sad smile and then turned back to Kent. “You shouldn’t have to do all this alone. You… I would want us to be equal, not just in the sense that any marriage is a partnership of sorts, but in the sense that you wouldn’t have to do all that you do alone. I don’t want to be just some pretty figure at your side when you’re the regent. I don’t expect power, that’s not the way this kingdom works, but I can be of more help than I have been. I want to be.”

“This is not something you should want to help with. You should… hate it. I don’t understand why you keep insisting on being a part of it.”

She nodded. “I know. I don’t… I admit it scares me. I don’t like it. And yet… I keep hearing those arguments we had when we first met, how you called me a spoiled, ignorant princess—”

“Kokoa—”

“I was, though. I didn’t know anything about what the war was like. I didn’t know much of anything beyond the castle walls, that was how everyone wanted it, and I never ever said how much it mattered to me that you actually told me what was going on out there, that you let me do more than look pretty for the people. You never treated me like I was less because I was a woman—because you thought I was stupid and overly emotional, yes, but not because I was born female.”

Kent frowned. “Actually, I do believe I stated that your being female had something to do with your overly emotional nature and—”

“I don’t care. What I _do_ care about is knowing the truth. It’s not always going to be pleasant, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help. I think I hate that most of all, feeling so helpless… so powerless. If I can’t do anything… I can’t be the perfect lady I’m supposed to be. I try, but I can’t bear this sense of uselessness. I want to help. And I am still scared. I am. I just...”

“The fear has shifted from losing me to being of me, which is understandable and—”

“No. I… I can’t believe you survived all that,” she whispered. Orion could see she was about to cry. “You’re still standing here talking like you always do, but if that had been me, if I’d been at that battle… I don’t think I could have kept going. I couldn’t have gotten anyone else to get up and fight. I’d have run and hid.”

“I actually believe that was the more sensible course, even if by many accounts that battle won us the war.”

“I never realized how much you hate yourself for what you did in the war.”

Kent blinked. “What? I never said—”

“You as much as said it,” Neesan insisted. “Now I know why you didn’t want me to say you were a good person. You don’t believe you are, and you’ll just say I don’t know you, but I still believe you are. And… I guess if you want to prove me wrong, you’re just going to have to let me stay now.”

* * *

Waka made his way through the night, careful with each step. The local lord was supposed to have extremely good security, and it was difficult to get much detail on exactly what that meant. Going in unprepared did not appeal to him, but he knew if he’d gone any further in his attempts to learn of the security, he’d have revealed his intentions.

That could not happen. If there was any chance of Nhil being held here, if he was still alive, he would certainly be killed before he could be discovered. Any evidence of his presence would be destroyed if it had not been already.

No, Waka had to do this tonight. He would not have told Toma his plan if not for his conviction that the other man would come looking for him if he did not warn him in advance of his absence. As it was, it was still possible Toma would decide to come find him if he took too long in returning to their lodgings.

That was the trouble with working with others. They always had a way of disrupting plans, even if they had some form of good intentions. He’d preferred to work alone since he was young, back when he’d first entered service to the king.

He hadn’t needed long to understand that any loyalty or trust would be wasted on the king, and though his son was an improvement upon him, Nhil was still someone whose orders Waka followed with reservation. The only person who’d managed to gain Waka’s respect in that regard was Kent. Though Kent was not a soldier when the war began, he had a gift for strategy that was rarely wasted and usually aligned with Waka’s own assessment of the situation.

Even knowing that his work would be more difficult with a wounded Toma along and that finding Nhil was the best outcome, Waka understood that Toma’s presence at the castle would be a hindrance to all that Kent had in motion. Toma would never accept the plan to use Kokoa as bait, even if the brunt of that was to fall on Kent as her chosen regent.

For that matter, Waka did not believe Toma would accept Kent as the regent. He might have said Kent was good for the country, but good for the country did not make him good enough for Toma’s cousin.

Waka stopped to listen, needing to determine if the corridor ahead of him was empty. What little he knew of the duke’s estate held that part of it had sunk into the ground some time ago, and Waka believed it might have been deliberate. That was where he intended to search first, but he needed to make his way down low, which required the stairs that would have to be in that next hall.

Satisfied no one was coming, he moved forward again, making his way across the room to the door. Heavy and old, it was likely to make considerable noise when it was opened. He undid the ties holding his cloak up until he might need it, and took it off, using it in the cracks to muffle the sound as best he could. He undid the lock with ease and opened the door with care, pleased when the sound was minimal.

He gathered up his cloak and started fixing it back in place as he descended the stairs, circling around the column and down into a darkened space. The smell was rather revolting, a mix of sewage and rotting flesh. Waka forced himself forward. He could hear nothing, not even his own steps on the floor—that was to be expected and preferred—and he did not believe anyone was lying in wait now.

He removed a small torch and lit it, taking a moment to assess the chamber where he now stood. He would have to search all of these rooms, and they might well be nothing more than the family crypt. Still, he had accepted this task long ago. He could not abandon it now for a minor discomfort.

He studied the floor, determining the path most often used by others, one stained with a dark color that did not match the dirt around it. He followed it to a door at the far side of the room, once again confronted with a heavy locked door.

He did not think he could brace against the sound down here, and it might echo worse than the other upstairs. This could mean trapping himself here, but he would have to search this area no matter what. He picked the lock and tested the door, surprised when it did not make much sound. He pulled it the rest of the way open and lifted the torch into the room.

It would seem he now knew what had happened to Nhil.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's another interrogation yet to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had started this and then shelved it because I hit another period of hating all my stuff and wanting to delete everything (I even did delete one fic. Eek.) Anyway, I came back to it, and while my judgment is still not clear and probably faulty, I decided to finish it and post it.
> 
> It does do what I needed it to do, even if I did deliberately put off some answers for later.

* * *

“Let me handle this one. You can take her back to her room.”

Ken frowned at him, and Ikki tried to smile. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to this. Things were different in the war, it was much easier to feel the burden of kill or be killed, but in peacetime, the things they did to survive it were not as justifiable. Maybe they had interrogated prisoners harshly in the war, but that was when not knowing where the attack was coming from had cost entire armies.

This… it could still mean lives, but it was harder to be sure of that.

“Ikkyu—”

“We both know we won’t get anything from this guy without blood. A lot of it,” Ikki said. While Ogata was a fool and easily intimidated, Yasuakira was another matter. His personal guard was a trained killer, and sending him could actually have meant Ken’s death if he hadn’t been ambushed by Shin when he went to set his ambush for Ken.

“Yes, we do.”

“So let me do it because she doesn’t need to see that. You don’t need to see it.”

Ken shook his head. “I need to be there to hear what he says as he says it. It’s not the same. Questions need to be asked, and answers might get missed.”

“I’m hurt. You think I’d be so incompetent?”

Ken shook his head. “It’s not that I think you’re stupid. You know that. Some of your actions are counter-intuitive and do not seem to follow basic common sense, but that is not the same. It is simply that I believe it would be better if I speak to Yasuakira as I have had more dealings with him prior to today in order to see the smaller reactions and to combine what I do know of him with what he might say. For instance, if I were to mention that rumor about the dead guard and their actual relationship to each other—”

“I don’t doubt you know more about this bastard than I do, but we are still talking the bloody messy kind of interrogation here. Spare yourself that and go take your lady to bed.”

Ken blinked. “I… I am not even going to dignify that one. Now stop arguing with me. I will be present for this, and I am not going near her bed.”

“Yeah, that might not be the best thing to say about your fiancée, you know,” Ikki said, aware of the very red princess not too far from them as well as her personal guard who had to have heard that. “I know propriety does say that waits for after the wedding, but you almost make it sound as if you don’t intend to see that part through, which I should remind you is actually a part of your duties as a regent and you will—”

“Ikkyu, do not make me kill you,” Ken warned in a low voice. He took a breath and let it out as he calmed himself from his fury. That was totally worth whatever might be coming. “It is not wrong to respect the princess’ honor, nor should it be. This should not even be a discussion. We have far more important things to discuss than your own perverted interest in things you have no need to know.”

“Well, I am satisfied that you’ve at least _considered_ sullying her virtue. That’s a good sign, you know. Since you are going to get married.”

“Ikkyu, if you are attempting to provoke me so that I will leave you to this task alone—”

“Well, I would prefer that over you hitting me again or arranging for a training session like one of Waka’s—which you couldn’t pull off because you were just poisoned. Ah, so I’m safe. I just have to worry about—”

“Ikkyu.”

That was his final warning. If Ikki didn’t stop, Ken actually would hurt him.

“Just let me handle this. I can do it.”

Ken sighed. “You shouldn’t have to. I can do it. It is only complicated by… other factors.”

Ikki shrugged. “To be honest, I’m jealous of your ‘other factors.’ You should take more care of them. This is my job, after all, not yours.”

“I do not think it right to put more blood on your hands when—”

“I’ve got just as much as you, so stop worrying about it. Take her back to her room. Make sure she eats something. Make sure you do, too. I’ll take care of this.”

* * *

“You are an idiot, you know.”

Shin grunted. “You don’t get to lecture me. I’m not dead.”

“You should be,” she said, and when he looked at her, she shook her head. “I don’t mean because you lied to everyone and made her think you were dead, breaking her heart. I just meant… these injuries are bad. You shouldn’t have survived them.”

He grunted. He was aware of that, too. The healer had said it so many times, same with Toma. Not that Toma’s opinion meant anything, but Shin wasn’t stupid. He knew how bad things were just from the pain, and even if he hadn’t had that, he’d had plenty of the healer’s fussing and cursing to judge by. She’d alternate between praising the battlefield medicine he’d gotten and swearing up a storm. He couldn’t deny Kent had saved his life.

Now he’d saved Kent’s. They were even.

“She still has to marry him.”

Shin looked up again. “What? Why are you even—”

“Because if you did this because you wanted to end the threat so she wouldn’t have to marry Kent, you did it for the wrong reason,” Sawa said, shaking her head as she wrung out the cloth. White had gone red, a pale color of rust that had him grimacing again. “It still has to happen or this won’t stop.”

“It stops if they all die.”

“No.” Sawa sighed, pushing back some of her hair that had fallen loose. “The laws haven’t changed. And she can’t change them. So unless Nhil comes back… she still has to marry Kent. From what Ikki says, Kent already has laws ready to sign that will give her the authority she needs in the future, but… if she doesn’t marry him, he’s not the regent to make that change in the law. So if you did do this to spare her the marriage… you shouldn’t have. It still has to happen.”

Shin grunted, pushing her hand away before she could try and clean another wound. “I know that. I don’t like it, but I know. I knew before she did she had to do this. Toma kept telling her she didn’t have to marry, that they’d find a way around it, but he was just coddling her, and it didn’t work. She doesn’t have a choice. I knew that much already. I never expected her to pick Kent, but that’s different.”

Sawa nodded, though she was quiet as she cleaned the rag again.

“What, you thought she’d pick him?”

“I think he’s the best choice outside of Nhil, yes,” Sawa said. “And part of that was because you and Toma were dead, but as much as maybe you could have made it work because you’re cousins and you care about her, neither of you wants this responsibility. I don’t even know that Kent does, but he already has it. He does his job well in spite of all those nobles, and people respect him even if they don’t like him. That’s not true of some of the others.”

“You mean Ikki.” Shin saw her tense. “Things going to be weird between you forever because of what he did?”

She sighed. “It’s not that I’m not practical enough to understand why he did what he did. that’s not it. I just… He’d been showing me things that went counter to his reputation and then he acted like none of that was real when he kissed me. I felt stupid for starting to think he was different. And that’s stupid because it wasn’t even _about_ him trying to flirt with me. It was about keeping this plan from her, which is a whole _other_ thing because I _hate_ lying to her. I hate to think of her grieving and hurting. And maybe you haven’t been on her mind as much lately as you were before the engagement and all this wedding planning and attempted assassinations, but she was mourning. She went to your graves daily. And I want to hit you for putting her through that. I want to hate Kent and Ikki, too, even if I understand why it has to be like this.”

“I know. Kent’s planning on me taking his place if something happens to him, that’s what they said, anyway, but it doesn’t make it easier. She should never have been in this position in the first place.”

Sawa sighed. “It will be hard to forgive Nhil for that, even if he is alive.”

* * *

“You’re going to go back to Ikki as soon as you’ve walked me to my room, aren’t you?”

Kent sighed, and Kokoa knew she was right about that. It wasn’t like she or the guards had missed Kent’s argument with Ikki before. As embarrassing as it was, she did think it was kind of sweet. Ikki trying to keep Kent from having to do it, Kent doing the same for him… They were such good friends, and they weren’t even mad at each other, just protective in their own weird ways, which was endearing enough to make it easier to ignore what Ikki had said about Kent taking her to bed.

Even just thinking about that made her cheeks flush, and it shouldn’t. They were in the middle of a bit of a crisis, and they had a prisoner to interrogate still. That was horrible, and she didn’t actually want Kent to do it, even if he felt he should. She didn’t want Ikki to do it, either.

“Do you think you can really get anything from that man even if you hurt him?”

“Possibly not, but the questions must be asked. If he has any connection to someone else or he had other plans besides what he had his guard do, we need to know. We can’t ignore what he did or what he could have been planning to do. I… We are still not certain who might have poisoned your meal tonight. I do not want to risk such a thing happening again.”

She shuddered. She’d almost forgotten about that. “I still wish there was some other way. I don’t want you to feel that pain again. And Ikki shouldn’t have to, either.”

He nodded. “Yes, though many unpleasant things are also… necessary. If it is within my power and ability to do something about a problem, I believe I should.”

She sighed, looking away from him. That only made her feel worse. “There really isn’t anything I can do. I just stand there and look… stupid. I’m not even pretty. I’m just dumb.”

Kent stopped, touching her arm. “I have never thought that of you. While it is true your position limits you a great deal and you lack education in many respects, that you are even lacking in common sense in ways that are nearly infuriating and have extremely emotional reactions to things, I believe you have enough intelligence to face these things. You may make the wrong decisions, but you were also often prevented from making any kind of decision—informed or otherwise—simply by your station. Those around you, be them family like your older brother or cousins or merely nobles… They did not want a princess with a mind of her own, nor does this kingdom seem to allow for such a thing in its laws, but it would be better served if it had one. Ignorance benefits no one.”

She nodded. She felt again like she might cry, which was not what she wanted at all, but she really did value the fact that Kent thought she was capable of more than just being someone’s wife and wearing pretty dresses. She understood now that of anything she might have wanted in a suitor—it was that, someone who saw her as someone worth something, someone worth teaching even if she wasn’t the smartest yet.

She grabbed hold of Kent again. “You are not allowed to die on me. Ever.”

“This again? I don’t understand. We have those two in custody, and while I suppose I did mention the dinner, it is still very possible it was arranged by one of them. You do not have to be so… frightened. I am fine.”

He didn’t understand.

“It’s… I...”

_I think I love you._

She choked on the thought, shaking her head. No. That was crazy. She was in a strange mood because of all that happened, but that was too much. Yes, she had to marry him, and she _did_ care about him, but love? No. She was just afraid of losing him.

“I think you need to rest.”

She nodded, feeling numb. He was right. She needed to sleep. If she got some sleep, she wouldn’t be like this. She’d feel better, more in control. She wouldn’t be so… desperate.

“I know this is… I shouldn’t ask, but… You will stay until I fall asleep, won’t you? I… it’s not fair to ask, you want to go back to Ikki and help, and I know that it needs to be done, but I… I don’t want you to go, and I don’t want you to have to hurt anyone. You did before, and it’s clear to me how much you hated it and still hate yourself for having to do it, so… not again. Not if it can be avoided. Please.”

He sighed, placing his hand on her head. “I do think there is likely no avoiding it with Yasuakira. Nor do I wish to leave Ikkyu alone with that task. That said… You are clearly distressed, and leaving you in such a state is… unwise.”

“So you’ll stay? You won’t be doing anything wrong. I just… I don’t know if Orion’s already asleep or not, but I don’t want to be alone. Just… let me hold your hand until I fall asleep. That’s not too much, is it?”

“I… No. I do not think so.”

She looked up at him, forcing a smile. “Good.”

* * *

Kent pried his hand free of Kokoa’s grasp, which had remained strong even after her breathing evened out and it was clear she was asleep. Strange how she had managed that. She wasn’t alone, either, since her brother had come to her room instead of his own and was waiting for her when she returned. She had no need of Kent’s hand, and yet she would still be holding it now if he had not managed to free himself.

He was fortunate. He’d thought she’d awaken as soon as he tried to move this time, but she did not stir as she had the last two times.

He walked to the door, closing it behind him and taking stock of the number of guards present. He was not certain they were enough, even with Orion’s present as well. Kent found the highest ranking man and approached his position.

“I think you should double your numbers until after the wedding. Use only those you trust who have been trained by Waka, but increase your patrols and those who are close to both the princess and the prince.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kent resisted the urge to grimace as he walked away. He disliked reminders of being in command, though he understood the necessity of some order to any military presence regardless of their purpose. He had too much to do yet, and he didn’t know if Ikkyu had been able to get anything from Yasuakira while he was gone and occupied with other things.

He doubted it. Yasuakira was the more cunning of the two, Kent knew that well, even if both men were idiots overall. And he would be even less likely to cooperate with his man dead. Ogata would fear such a thing. Yasuakira would be angry and defiant.

Kent reached the door to Yasuakira’s cell and opened the door, stepping inside without a word to the guards. Ikkyu looked back at him, already showing some signs of fatigue.

“Has he said anything yet?”

Ikkyu shook his head. “No. I was just about to start asking a bit more… forcefully.”

Kent nodded. He had expected as much. Yasuakira was a fool, but he had a bit more sense than Ogata, and he was not easily intimidated, not in the same way. He felt himself in the right, and he no doubt harbored some anger over the death of his personal guardsman, which would make him even less likely to cooperate.

Kent crossed over to face Yasuakira. “There is no question of your involvement. That is established, and for that you will die.”

“You’re not going to scare me. Your friend already tried and failed.”

“I was not attempting to intimidate you. I am stating a fact. You are guilty. You will die. I am not interested in any denials, and there is nothing you can say that will grant you leniency.”

“Then why bother with this farce?”

“Because I want to know if you acted on your own. Naturally, the regent is a position that only one person can fill, so the answer should be obvious, but what I need to know is if you were simply greedy for power or if you truly betrayed your country. Was this done solely for your own desires, or was there a foreign state involved as well?”

Yasuakira frowned. “Why would I give any of my power to someone else?”

“Because you could not achieve it on your own.”

Yasuakira snorted. “You’re supposed to be a genius. All I see is a fool. You are wasting your time. I did nothing, and I won’t admit to anything, either. Abuse your power all you like. It is nothing to me.”

“Hmm. And yet one must consider the questions raised by the war,” Kent said, getting another frown from the other man. “Your lands border the north, after all. You should have been ideally placed for an invasion, and yet for some reason they did not seek to subjugate your lands. Tell me… what was your promise? That in exchange for leaving you alone, you would willingly swear fealty to them once they’d won the war?”

“You know nothing.”

“Actually, I know a great deal. And unfortunately for you, it is also true that pain has been proven an excellent means of retrieving answers people are reluctant to give. I am not as known for my skill at it as Waka is, but I have done some experiments to determine the most effective methods. They are quite painful… and yet not lethal on their own. This is the best balance, of course, since one does want an answer, after all.”

“I told you that you won’t scare me.”

“Yes. You did. And it is most unfortunate for you that is the case.”


End file.
